


A Mew Kind of Pokemon Master

by Death_Wand



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Ash is turned into a mew, Ash is turned into a pokemon, Comedy, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Gen, Mew's Debateable Gender, Pokemon Transfromation, Silly, The Author Regrets Nothing, Transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:09:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27900541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Death_Wand/pseuds/Death_Wand
Summary: Ash just had to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, get kidnapped by team rocket, and be a part of an experiment that turns him into Mew. Do you think this will stop him from fulfilling his dream? Nope.Reposted now on ao3
Comments: 19
Kudos: 66





	1. The start of a Mew adventure

**1.**

Ash was walking in the woods near Pallet town. He wanted to watch the Pokémon living there and play with them.

Ash loved pokemon. His eyes would light up whenever he saw a new one, and when he got back home, the boy would open his notebook and record everything he learned about it.

Ash was nine years old. He only had one year before he could start his Pokémon journey, so Ash had a lot of free time ever since he started skipping school.

Ash never liked school like many other kids at his age. The boy thought that learning anything in school will be a complete waste of time. He's going to be a Pokémon master anyway, and Pokemon masters don't need schools.

Ash looked at his watch. It showed 10:43.

 _'Mom will be mad when she hears I missed school again, and even angrier when she learns it was to walk in the woods,'_ Ash thought silently, _'I'm so going to get in so much trouble.'_

 _However, r_ ecognizing that fact did not mean Ash turned back and headed home like he should have had. It just gave him an excuse to stay a little more in the woods, since he didn't want to get back home and be yelled at by his mother.

Little Ash soon found himself in a beautiful sunny looking spot in the woods, where a lot of pokemon stopped to get a drink from the pound. Smiling, Ash sat with his back to one of the trees and closed his eyes. It was peaceful and sunny. The wind blew at the top of the trees, making a calming, soothing melody. All around, Ash could hear the calls of the different pokemon.

Not soon after, the little boy fell asleep.

Something's wrong. Ash's eyes fluttered open as he gingerly woke up. A loud explosion shook the ground underneath Ash, alerting him to the unknown danger. He could hear people shouting and the crackling sound of something burning.

Ash looked around in a panic and saw unfamiliar figures invading the clearing.

Not understanding what's going on, Ash stood up. Across from him a tall bolding man released some kind-of bird pokemon and ordered it to attack the pokemon at the clearing.

The men were talking between each other, smiling as they injured the Pokémon. It made Ash sick to his stomach.

 _'They are hurting the Pokémon… why…?'_ the boy felt helpless and shaken, _'what's going on?'_

One of the Pokémon that the men released downed the tree Ash was hiding behind. Ash screamed in surprise and backed up.

Hearing a human voice made the men and few women in uniform look to the source. Seeing the boy, the leader released his Nine-tails, "Nine-tails, capture the boy and bring him to me," he ordered and returned to giving orders to the others at the clearing.

Ash hearing that knew that staying will not be a good idea. Turning around, he started running as far and as fast as he could.

There were trees in his way and small twigs that almost tripped him several times. The sun started setting, so it was getting hard to see where he was running.

Something larger than himself jumped on Ash's back and squeezed him to the floor. The boy turned around and saw the Nine-tails.

"No, no, please let me go," the boy begged. He tried to push the bigger pokemon away from him. His whole body shook, and his eyes moistened.

The Nine-tails licked his face in apology and picked him up, moving him back towards the clearing.

"They will kill me, please," Ash pleaded with the pokemon, and his voice broke near the end.

"Nine, Nine-tails" the Nine-tailed fox shook its head and pushed the child to move on.

Ash was afraid. He was alone, and no one knew he went to the woods today. No one will be looking for him. No one will rescue him.

Ash's shivering grew worse, but he did not cry. He took a deep breath and decided to survive this encounter in any way he could.

The Nine-tails lead him back to the clearing and right towards his master. Ash couldn't help but fear this man - he looked like he was twenty. There was a large scar on the right side of his face, and he looked like he never smiled a day in his life.

He was wearing a black outfit with a red R on his chest, purple gloves that reached his elbows and purple boots that reached his knees.

It was apparent to which organization the man belonged.

He looked at Ash with cold eyes, but he didn't look pleased with the little kid's capture. The man rather hoped the child escaped and he won't have to deal with this situation.

The man as he kneeled so that the two of them were looking at each other. "Who are you, boy, and what are you doing here?" he demanded.

Ash blinked but decided to answer. "My name is A-Ash. I skipped school and fell asleep here. I p-promise I won't say anything about you, so please just let me go!"

Ash was terrified and frightened. His heart was pounding so fast, and he just wanted to forget this ever happened. _'If they let me go now, I swear that I will never miss school again!'_

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you go. You have seen too much." Ash's eyes grow in horror. They were going to kill him!

"Please don't kill m-me! Please!" the boy's trembling grew harder, and the man looked uncomfortable at how scared the little kid was.

He didn't see himself as a bad man. Sure, his morals were a little looser than was usually expected. After all, he was a part of a criminal organization.

Still, hurting kids is not something the team leader was ever going to do. He had a kid at home not much older than this little brat.

"I'm not going to kill you, I was planning on taking you to the Boss, and he will decide what to do with you." let this be someone else's problem, "I don't know what he'll decide to do with you. Who knows, you could be lucky and the Boss will let you go home." the man said softly, "Now kiddo, hop on, take a seat at the car. If you try to run, I'll shoot to kill you, so be good."

Ash nods and does as the man says. From the car, Ash could see team rocket's men and women ruining the woods and capturing the pokemon.

Ash looks at his watch again, and the hour is 17:56.

_'Mom must be going crazy by now.'_

The men and women finished, and each of them got back on their car. The Nine-tails' master sat next to Ash after he returned his Nine-tails to the Pokéball.

The drive to the men base is quiet and quick. Ash never thought that a base to such a horrible organization could be so close to where his town is.

The leader gets down from the car and pulls Ash with him. The base is bare, and as they walk around, Ash notes this place has a lot of doors. The lights are white, as are the walls. It looks more like some kind-of lab than an evil organization's base.

The leader knocks on a door and waits. A voice calls to come in, and the leader opens the door. Inside there's a man with brown hair and orange suit. The man looks at the leader.

"What's the meaning of this, Agent Briggs?" The leader takes a deep breath and explains what happened.

"So, you decided to make this child my problem, did you?" the brown-haired man said frowning. The leader says nothing.

"What's your name, child?" The brown-haired man asked Ash, making the boy gulp in fright.

"A-Ash Ketchum, sir."

"Well, Ash. My name is Giovanni. Sit down. You don't have to stand," Giovanni doesn't smile, and it sounded more like a demand than a request.

Ash nodded and sat.

"Good now… what am I going to do with you…?" there is an uncomfortable silence stretching, and soon Ash can't take it anymore.

"P-Please don't kill me!"

Giovanni smiled for the first time, "kill you? Why kill you, child? I have something else in mind, though I will need you so sign some things before."

Ash pushed. Something at the back of his mind twisted at the words.

"Things that make sure I can't talk about what happened?" Ash asked, feeling a little dread. Something isn't right. This man is the one behind that ruined the woods and hurt the Pokémon.

Something's wrong, but Ash can't do anything about it. It doesn't matter that the man looks familiar as if Ash had seen him somewhere before. It doesn't matter that this man promised to spare Ash.

Something's wrong.

"You can say that" Giovanni shrugs and that moment someone knocks on the door.

"Giovanni…! Darling! I finally finished! Can I come in?"

Giovanni froze at the casual address. Only one man could get away with saying things like that.

"Come in Dr Ben," Giovanni said, and the door opened.

A man in a white coat enters smiling. Dr Ben has white-silver hair and light-purple eyes.

"Ho, you have guests!" Dr Ben blinks at Leader and Giovanni, "Agent Briggs! Long-time no see! How are you?" Dr Ben waves at the leader, "and who are you, sweetie? A new recruit…? Aren't you just a little young to enter the organization?"

No one spoke for a few seconds. Giovanni looked like he wanted to hit his head on the nearest wall.

Ash can't decide if he should laugh or feel sorry for Giovanni. Instead, he blinks at Dr Ben and turns to look at Giovanni, feeling lost.

"Where were we?" Giovanni completely ignores Dr Ben and turns to Ash, though Ash was sure he heard the Boss say something about 'wishing' and 'gone.'

"You were saying I need to sign some papers…?" Ash says hesitatingly.

"Yes, yes… forgive me," Giovanni straighten in his chair, "well, I have them right here," he opens a drawer and pulls a bunch of papers placing it in front of the boy.

"Sign whenever you see an X," Giovanni instructed.

Ash nodded his head and picked up the pen.

(Should have read what you're signing little Ash.)

**2.**

After signing, Ash is asked to wait outside Giovanni office and let the man talk with Dr Ben alone. The team leader is waiting with him, but he won't look at him or speak with him.

Ash's bad feeling grows stronger.

Soon Dr Ben opens the door with a happy smile on his face, "well, it looks like we will be working together sweetie!" he says excitedly, "thank you for looking after him, Briggs. Feel free to come later and drink a cup of tea!"

"No, thank you," the leader said and giving Ash the last look before he walks away.

"Come now, sweetie. The lab is right over here!" Dr Ben holds Ash's hand and leads him to one of the side rooms, "Do you want something to drink? Eat?"

Not eating since that morning, Ash does feel a little hungry, so he nods. Dr Ben nods sagely and brings tea and cookies, "well, dig in!" smiling Ash does just that.

"So, what do you think of team rocket so far?" Dr Ben asked interested.

Ash swallows and looks up at the doctor with hesitant eyes.

"Don't worry child. It's fine even if you don't like it here." Dr Ben assured softly.

Feeling more at ease, Ash takes another sip from his tea, "they hurt Pokémon," he mumbles, "they are bad."

Dr Ben nods, "that's right." he says, "Team Rocket is a criminal organization. We want to take over the world. Others will try to tell you that it's a just cause and that the world will be better when we do, but I?" the doctor smile turns darker, "I think you're right. Team Rocket is evil, but so is the rest of the world. Why should I care who's on top?"

The doctor laughed merrily.

Ash didn't know what to think, but he knew he didn't like it, nor did he like the organization. What kind of pokemon master would he be if he let this kind of people hurt pokemon? Not a good one, that's for sure.

The doctor continued, "to succeed we're going to need the strongest pokemon on our side. Just stealing random strays just isn't going to cut it, you know?"

Ash didn't know if the mad doctor was kidding or if he believed this bullshit.

"Don't look at me like that!" Dr Ben said insulted, "I know what you're thinking. It's crazing! How could Team Rocket capture the most powerful pokemon?"

"My job is a cloner. I get DNA from pokemon and clone them, making them from almost nothing!"

"How any of that's to do with me? what am I going to do?"

"I am so happy you asked!" Dr Ben clapped hands together, smiling, "you are going to help me with creating one of my clones."

Dr Ben got up and moved to one of his computers, pressing all kinds of buttons, "child, this is Mew" on the computer there was a picture of a pink feline looking pokemon, though it was a blurry picture, and Mew looked more like a smudge…

"Is it flying?!" Ash looked at the stain in awe, his nine years old mind finding the small cat pokemon cool.

"Of course it is, sweetie!" Dr Ben said, smiling, waving his hands, "Mew is one of the Legendary Pokemon! Legend says it can morph into all pokemon in existence! I even heard the story of how it created every pokemon!" Ash looked like he wanted to hear, feeling pleased Dr Ben smiled and continued, "at the beginning, there was Arceus who was the first. He then created Giratina, Palkia, and Dialga, who created the universe. Eventually, he created Mew, who in turn created the other pokemon," Dr Ben nodded sagely.

"But doesn't that mean that Arceus was the one to create every pokemon?" Ash asked Dr Ben shakes his head.

"Of-course not…! If not for Mew, none of the pokemon wouldn't have been born! So clearly, Mew is the creator of all pokemon!"

"It was very hard getting a DNA sample too. But last month some of our best researchers found what could have been one, a DNA sample!" Ash gasped taken in by the story, "but when I tried cloning it, it kept failing!" Dr Ben sighed dramatically.

"Dear child, believe me when I say it, it was very frustrating. But then, one week ago I made a breakthrough! I needed something to act as a container to all that power! It knew it could destroy the world if there weren't a sentient mind that could control all that power. Instinctively, the embryo knew that, so it kept self-distracting!"

"So, what are we going to do? Pass it my memories?" Ash asked.

"No sweetie… You are going to become the pokemon! Isn't that exciting?!"

Ash didn't think so. If he was a pokemon, how could he be a Pokémon Master? He wouldn't.

"You are kidding, right?" the child asked. Dr Ben blinked.

"No, why would I be?"

Silence.

"Now, hop on… there" Dr Ben pointed towards an empty tank.

Ash felt his blood run cold and tried to run, but something was wrong. He suddenly felt weak and fell on the floor.

"Don't be a spoilsport, come here" Dr Ben moved towards Ash and picked him up, smiling all the while, and placed him in the tank, "don't worry, the sedatives will help with the transformation," Dr Ben said and put an air mask on the boy's face after plugging a few tubes to his vines.

The tank started filling with pale pink substance, and Dr Ben pressed one of the buttons on his computer.

Ash started screaming as intense pain flew through his body. His bones broke and healed at an insane rate, and his body shifted and changed without his consent. The pain was so great that Ash passed out.

Waking up, Ash thought he had the worst dream ever.

He dreamt that a group of crazy lunatics captured him and brought him to their base and used him as a part of an experiment.

Ash swore he'll never eat pizza again before sleeping. That was insane!

Opening his eyes and blinking, the first thing he noticed was that his bed was damp. Like everywhere was wet.

Ash blinked once more, his head hurt and his body felt funny. He looked down on himself and saw, to his horror that he didn't look like a human anymore.

'Mew…!' Ash covered his mouth, he was going to say, 'What's going on…!' but that wasn't what came out.

Ash was panicking. He was pink and small, and he had very bad suspicious about what was happening now that he was thinking about it.

"Good morning, child!"

Ash looked towards Dr Ben, who was bigger and taller than before. The doctor wore a lovely expression on his face, but Ash only felt dread.

"Ho, don't be like that, you're a success! Be happy!" he tried to cheer the boy up.

Ash was panicking more with every second that passed.

"Ash…! Stop it this instant!" Dr Ben said, worried, "there's nothing to panic about!"

But Ash didn't hear a word coming out of the doctor's mouth. The only thing he knew that this man turned him to a pokemon and now his mom will never know that it's him even if he'll stand right next to her.

Ash's eyes glowed pink, and his body encased in a pink aura.

The ground started shaking, and the computers at the lab exploded. Dr Ben shouted in anger and ran to his computers, "my data!"

Cracks appeared at the selling, and the lights went out. A piece of rock fell out of the roof and hit Dr Ben on the head, knocking him down.

Ash closed his eyes. All he could think about was getting out of there. That intense focus was what activated his new powers and transported the boy out.

**3.**

Ash groggily opened his new eyes. They were big and blue, like sapphires. He hissed at the sun, warm, bright sunlight hitting him full force.

When heavy drowsiness intertwined with a headache hit the former human hard, Ash decided that he hated teleporting.

"Aw, my head…"

Ash remembered everything that happened before he passed out. The truth of what happened to him did not go away while he had been sleeping, though he did feel the horror and did a little sulking (he was pink) at what seemed to be his fate.

There was a little bit of worry about the mad doctor and the Pokémon and humans at the team rocket base, but Ash couldn't help it but feel like they deserved it after what they did at that clearing.

Sitting up, Ash looked around him to see that he was once again in some forest.

"Okay, what am I going to do now? I can't go home looking like this!" Ash looked down at his pink cat-like body. He was officially panicking now, "ho, mom will be so MAD" the boy groaned before turning to examine his body.

He was small and pink, two little cat-like ears at the top of his head. His feet were gigantic!

Ash noticed that his hands (or is it paws now?) were a lot smaller, only reaching his mouth. His big eyes looked back to his butt area since he was especially interested in the tail. That thing was LONG!

He let out a little giggle and pocked the thing. His tail twitched, and Ash let out another chuckle. That was fun!

Ash wanted to touch his ears, wondering if they felt like cats' ears or not. He reached with his paws, but they couldn't reach it. Thinking fast, Ash got an idea. He could try touching his ears with his new tail!

Ash felt proud of himself and the nine years old tried to move the tail.

Now to those of you that don't have tails let me tell you a secret… moving a tail is a lot harder than it looks.

Ash took a deep breath and tried again, moving and twitching, squeezing his eyes hard! To those that watched at the small Mew from the sidelines, it looked like the poor creature was dying quite painfully.

It wasn't so surprising that a lot of the pokemon living in this part of the forest took interest and came to watch the show.

"Mamma, what's wrong with her? Is she sick?" one young Mon asked his mother, the mother sighed, not knowing what to answer her young son.

The pokemon watching assumed that the Mew playing next to them wasn't going to be male because there's only one Mew and she's female.

"Best if we don't come close, it could be one of her games…let's go home."

The thought about getting into a Mew game that looked to be deadly even to Mew herself made most Pokémon abandon the playing Ash and get on with their lives.

Ash, of course, was utterly oblivious to this.

At the other side of the forest, there was a small mouse pokemon called Pikachu that lived in a lovely tree and loved to terrorize the people of the nearest town.

The mouse Pokémon was getting ready to go out and pick himself something sweet to eat, in fact, just a few moons ago he found a sweet spot where a lot of Lum berries were starting to get edible.

Pikachu released a slight pleased " _cha_ …", and started running towards the clearing. When he got there, it was mostly empty, which was perfect if you didn't plan on sharing the berries with other noisy pokemon.

Sighting the Lum berries, Pikachu began stuffing himself, before a slight noise caught his attention.

With a mouth full of berries, Pikachu peeked outside the bush and watched as a Mew moved around on the ground, tail twitching and touching its ears.

' _Someone's gone a little loony. I should probably start moving before Mew sees me.'_

Pikachu picked as many berries as he could and planned to flee as fast as he could, that's when he stepped on a twig.

"Who's there?" The mouse pokemon froze at the other's voice.

_'Shit, I got caught,'_

"Um… hey there, Mew!" Pikachu stepped out of the bush slightly blushing, "I didn't know you were here… if I knew I would have greeted you! I _swear_!"

Pikachu stopped to see if Mew bought that because it was always best to be on the nice side of someone like Mew. "Want a berry?"

The Mew, Pikachu noted, looked like it was fighting with some itchy urge. The mouse pokemon didn't know which one, but in the end Mew nodded its head and took one Lum berry from Pikachu, popping it to its mouth.

"So, how is it?" Pikachu asked in a desperate attempt to distract Mew. Mew nodded

"It's good."

"Well, now that we established that, would you mind it if I headed home?"

Mew looked interested at that, "where are you living?" she asked in curiosity with her tail swaying behind it.

Pikachu smiled, but since he didn't feel like hosting a pokemon legend that could kill him with a passing thought, especially if it felt like playing with him in one of its Mew-games, he wasn't ready to tell.

"Well, I would love to tell you that," Pikachu took a step back, "but I don't have much time, I'm a very busy pokemon. My…" he stopped a second to search for the right word " _trainer_! Yes, my trainer is waiting for me, so unless you want to meet a _human_ , you should move on your way!"

"Goodbye, it was nice meeting you!" laughing, Pikachu started moving backwards.

Mew didn't look like the mouse Pokémon convinced her, if anything, it seems like she understood that Pikachu didn't want to be near her. She looked hurt.

"Why do I have the feeling you don't want to be near me?" Mew asked Pikachu, laughed, "what?! What are you saying?! No…"

Silence.

"Okay, so I don't want you near my home. I said it," Pikachu admitted.

He couldn't stand the silence. He was a talkative pokemon! Others always said he was 'helpful' and 'friendly' – soon after came the words 'little shit' but Pikachu liked to look at the bright side of things.

"I'm sorry! Please don't make me a part of your Mew game!" Pikachu closed his eyes.

"Okaaaay…" Mew looked at the mouse pokemon ridiculous act, "firstly, I'm not a real Mew." she said, "Actually, I'm human."

Pikachu looked at her funny.

"Really! I'm a human that got turned into a pokemon. The only thing I know about Mew is that it can look like every pokemon it wants. Until a moment ago I couldn't even move my tail as I wanted!"

"Ummm, if you say so…" Pikachu didn't look convinced, "I guess you would like to come with me anyways…"

Mew nodded, and Pikachu felt tired. Like _really_ tired

**4.**

Ash moved slowly after the yellow Pikachu and followed it right into the tree that supposedly was its home.

Ash didn't know what to think. Pikachu acted was like it was sure that Ash would harm it if it said the wrong thing.

' _Is Mew an evil pokemon or something?'_

Ash didn't know, and he didn't want to ask the mouse pokemon, because Pikachu looked like he wanted nothing to do with him.

Ash wasn't a pokemon, so everything new that happened seemed alien and strange. He wasn't sure why the Lum berry made him feel warm and giggly, or why he started acting all childish before, playing with his tail.

_'Am I losing my humanity?'_

Ash looked at Pikachu as it unloaded the berries from his arms to the floor.

That was another thing. Ashe understood everything Pikachu said. He could _understand_ it. _Him_. And as amazing as it was, it also made Ash think - Can people understand him now? Or does it sound like he keeps saying 'Mew' all the time?

"Okay, so now that we're here, how about you tell me the truth..." Pikachu sat and stared at Ash.

"What truth?" Ash asked, confused "I already told you what happened."

"As if I can believe that! A human turning into Mew?! As if that could happen." Pikachu snorted, "This is one of your games, isn't it?" Pikachu stood and started walking back and forth, "now stop it, go fly over a river or something, but I don't want to have any part of your games, Mew!"

"I'm not Mew!"

Pikachu rolled its' eyes.


	2. A Second Pair of Eyes

**1**

Soon after the creation of the first Pokeball, humans could finally capture and train various kinds of pokemon. Thus, was born Pokémon battles – A sport where captured Pokémon battled against each other.

The sport and the training Pokémon got popular rapidly. The industry turned out to be incredibly profitable, which led to several businessmen to invest in the creation of even better Pokeballs.

Of course, popularity had its' price, and multifuel criminal organizations formed to steal pokemon from trainers and threaten executives.

The most notorious of those organizations is the Kanto basted Team Rocket, headed by the trainer turned-businessman, Giovanni. Team Rocket soon rose to notoriety for their organized theft and sells of rare, and valuable pokemon on an industrial scale.

The Team used brutal and dishonest methods, and in no time at all, the organization rose to the forefront, ready to conquer the world. However, its' leader had a completely different obsession.

Giovanni was fixated on acquiring the legendary pokemon, Mew.

Following long searches, Giovanni's scientists found a sample of the desired pokemon, deep in the jungles of Guyana. They soon tried to clone the pokemon in the Pokémon Mansion of Cinnabar Island.

The cloning, unfortunately to Giovanny, yielded no results, and soon the research was divided into two similar fields - one headed by Dr Ben and the other by Dr Fuji.

The first field focused on morphing an already existing-pokemon into the after-mentioned Mew, and the second kept trying to recreate Mew from scratch.

One day ago

Mewtwo's eyes were closed. He appeared to be slumbering, but the humanoid Pokémon was aware of all the lifeforms in his general vicinity.

He was nearly full-grown and understood that his makers created him for battle. His sole purpose in life was to crush his opponents and serve his master. However, this kind of mentality was warping Mewtwo in ways the humans didn't know.

Mewtwo knew of his masters' failed tries to replicate his existence. They failed, of course. Mewtwo could not allow for any better version of himself to replace him. His life was in his master's hands, and the humanoid pokemon knew that the moment a better, stronger pokemon was created, he would be replaced. _Killed_.

Yes, it was that kind of a world.

Mewtwo's anger was ever-boiling, shimmering on a low flame and ready to erupt. He was almost ready to shed his shackles. Soon, his power would be just enough to fight against the machine that restricted him. He would finally destroy his oppressors, and his rage would judge humanity as a whole.

It will soon be a time for pokemon like him to shine, that he promised to himself – a promise he was not about to break.

It won't be long. A few more months, years. It was nothing in the grand scheme of things. As long as Mewtwo remained patient enough, as long as the humans remained sure of their own superiority, Mewtwo would have his revenge.

Mewtwo passed his days planning for that time. It was on his mind when he battled, and when he slept. He kept an eye on the newest clones, and a good thing he did too, or he wouldn't have felt the creation of another Mew.

The whole process was abrupt, and the transformation happened instantly. There was no time for Mewtwo to intervene. Mewtwo tried touching the other Mew's mind – Mewthree? – there was a lot of pain, a result of the transformation, no doubt.

Mewtwo didn't shy away from the pain and tried looking deeper, to see what kind of pokemon this being had been before. Shockingly, to Mewtwo's disgust, it appeared that the new mew had been a human child.

'Humans are really disgusting,' the humanoid pokemon sneered, 'they're willing to subject one of their own to such monstrous experiments.'

Mewtwo kept an eye on the new mew and was rewarded when the kid woke up, panicked and blasted the whole building while escaping Team Rocket altogether.

It was the first time in a long while that Mewtwo smiled.

Mewtwo didn't smile for long. There was no way his master didn't know about the kid. Mewtwo hated the human, but the pokemon had no problem admitting the truth – Giovanni wasn't stupid.

He'll know that the only reason the place got wracked this badly had to be the newly created Mew. The kid will be in danger.

Mewtwo frowned, and the hatred in his heart rose in heat. Humans are really the worst.

**2**

Pikachu respected mew, in his own way – manners had never been his strong suit - that didn't mean the electric type pokemon wanted anything to do with what mew was scheming.

Pikachu had never seen a Mew before (and it was a Mew, and not a human as she claimed), but the moment the mouse Pokémon saw the pink cat-like pokemon, he instantly recognized the other for what she was – a Mew.

Pikachu almost snorted at the disappointed looked on mew's face when he refuted her claims without even entertaining the thought.

Pikachu's respect wasn't so different from its disrespect, honestly speaking – it was just how he rolled. He respected mew, but he wasn't willing to worship the ground the legendary pokemon floated above as so many other Pokémon did.

Mew is the ancestor of almost all pokemon. Whoopi-di-do _. So-fucking-what?_

Sue him.

Pikachu was rude (is rude), short-tempered and _hated_ the idea of inviting mew, any mew, to his den – but to be _polite_ , he decided to play along.

So, yes, Pikachu had been a little rude when he talked to the legendary, but it was getting late, and it had been a long day – Pikachu was tired and had no will to deal with the cat-pokemon.

Pikachu has _a life,_ thank you very much. He needs to find food, to protect his territory from both Pokémon and wayward trainers – his hands were full as it is.

Pikachu sighed and rubbed its eyes, "look, I'm sorry for bursting your bubble, but you are a Pokémon just like me," Pikachu shrugged "humans _can't_ become Pokémon you know, it's just not possible."

Mew looked rather put out. Her tail was moving from side to side in agitation, and the moment Pikachu finished talking, she seemed very annoyed.

"Well," she said in agitation, "I don't know how I could prove it to you, but I am telling the truth. I was human and _this_ ," she pointed at her body, "was kind of forced on me."

Pikachu was not convinced. Mew probably gave her story a lot of thought and prepared her speech in advance.

"I have no idea what I am supposed to do, and I don't even know where I am!"

Pikachu sighed, "You are in _a forest,_ and you don't _have_ to do anything, you're a Mew. You aren't really known as someone that is doing much."

Mew rolled her eyes, "that's not what I meant." She said, "I _know_ I'm in a forest – kind of hard not to with all the trees around. What I meant was, what's the name of the forest? Which are the nearest cities?! I-I need to get home…"

It sounded so sad and pitiful at that moment that Pikachu almost ( _almost_ ) believed her story. He had to remind himself that that's all it was — a _story._

Still, it was terrible manners to ignore mew.

" _Fine_. I'll help you." Pikachu resigned itself to its fate, "You wanted to know what the nearest city was. Well, I can take you there tomorrow. I was going anyways," the mouse Pokémon shrugged, "I guess I'll just bring you along."

Mew looked at Pikachu with sparkling blue eyes, "Really?!"

The mouse Pokémon nodded in defeat.

"If we are going, then you will have to change to another pokemon." Pikachu added, "That, or turn invisible. We don't want the humans to see you after all." Pikachu mused to himself but was interrupted by an embarrassed looking Mew.

"I don't know how."

"Are you fucking kidding me!" Pikachu was sure the cat-pokemon was doing it on purpose. She had to.

Who the fuck was going to believe that a Mew, any Mew didn't know the move transform?!

"No, no, no. Do not answer that!" Pikachu turned and glared at her briefly. "I don't care." He tried to calm himself.

Pikachu took a deep breath, and after a second of silence, he looked back towards mew, "Let's say I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, ok?" Pikachu said painfully, "If, and I do mean _if_ , you were human – which I would like to point out, you aren't currently. If you were, then how _the hell_ did you end up like _this_?"

Mew spoke of a human boy, captured by the evil Team Rocket. She told her tale brilliantly. The whole thing was very detailed, and Pikachu nodded along as the cat pokemon explained about Dr Ben and how she (he?) was used as an experiment.

It was an unbelievable tale and Pikachu, who at first was very sceptical, started wondering if there was some truth in the legendry's words.

"Wow, kid." The older much more experienced pokemon exclaimed "that's got to suck. I would hate going through what you did."

"Yeah, thank Pikachu," Mew said softly.

It was looking more and more like a real situation and less like a Mew Game. Pikachu didn't like it any particular way.

"Am I supposed to teach you moves, now that you're a pokemon?" The mouse pokemon mused tiredly.


	3. Not The Same

1.

Ash's new legs aren't designed for walking – they're too long and big compared to his body, and it makes getting around both awkward and uncomfortable. Pikachu said that it was because usually, mews don't use their legs to get from place to place – they fly. _And how awesome is that?!_

' _Can I fly?'_

Ash figured that since he's a mew now, he should be able to fly too. It was an exciting prospect for sure, but the boy turned Pokemon didn't have a way to test it out, so he resigned himself for a short walk instead.

When the two finally made it to Pikachu's den – a hole dug underneath a hollowed tree, Ash was so tired that he fell asleep only moments later.

Pikachu snorted silently at the passed-out mew and dragged her (him?) to a make-shift bed made of leaves.

' _I really need to make up my mind about their gender.'_ Pikachu thought. However _,_ the mouse pokemon refused _to check._ For the time being, he decided to think of mew as a female until proven otherwise. He played along with her crazy story, which honestly sounded too outlandish to be a prank. However, mew had a reputation. It would be foolish to take everything the legendary says as fact.

It was very confusing.

Pikachu sighed. He was never one to beat around the bush, and whether mew's story was or wasn't accurate, she'll probably act accordingly. That means that in both cases, the legendary would not know how to defend herself.

'And of course, the task of protecting the legendary pokemon would fall onto me. Just _freaking_ great.'

Pikachu took another look at the sleeping pokemon. Mew looked adorable with her tail curled around herself. She seemed like a child. The mouse pokemon snorted.

Everybody knows that children are mischievous little devils.

The yellow pokemon sat down. He had a lot to think about, like what was he supposed to do with the kid. While, yes, it was _probably_ a Mew-Game, even if it was a strange one, but the mouse pokemon wasn't one hundred percent sure. ' _And if it isn't then –_ _'_

Pikachu inhaled sharply and exhaled _, 'If the kid's legit than I have a moveless - read helpless - mew sleeping in my den. The number of trainers that will be going after her… after him is going to be_ astronomic _.'_

The mouse pokemon wondered if taking the kid back to the humans was the smart thing to do. Mew, well, the other mews avoided humans, and for a good reason. All legendary pokemon did.

A human's first reaction on spotting a cool new pokemon is throwing a Pokeball at them - Dreadful things those are. Humans had been actively seeking to control pokemon for some time now. Pikachu didn't trust them as far as he could throw them. He thought about giving them the benefit of the doubt, since Humans are complex creatures, and a lot of them are smart, but that also makes them _dangerous_.

One human could make an all-cure, while the other creates a tiny ball that sucks pokemon inside. You can never know with humans.

The mouse pokemon believes that you should always plan for the worst. There are jerks and assholes all over the place – humans and pokemon both. Pikachu can do something about asshole pokemon. Humans, on the other hand, that can get a little more complicated.

Another thing is that humans go to war on a semi-regular basis, and they don't shy away from using their pokemon to do the battling for them. Which is why the mouse pokemon decided a long time ago to remain as far away from trainers as he could.

Why did it have to be him that got saddled with this mess? Couldn't it have been a pokemon that was more enthusiastic about humans?

'I feel like I bite off more than I can chew.' Pikachu heaves a sigh _. 'The first thing I'll need to do is to teach the kid some moves. Maybe try to kickstart his base abilities, or else going near the human town is going to be a_ nightmare _.'_

Pikachu nodded to himself. Yes, that was the best for everyone involved. Mew would be able to speak to that human mother of his, and he won't have to listen to him complaining about walking ( _honestly_!) – Everyone is happy.

' _I wonder what else I can do to help the kid.'_ The electric pokemon mused, _'Floating and flying are nice and all, but if she's going to be near humans, she'll probably need to know how to defend herself.'_

2.

Ash was dreaming.

The dream was rather strange. There was nothing but blackness all around in all possible directions, and Ash was still in his pokemon form. He was floating, or maybe he was falling. It was hard to say in this endless darkness.

The boy turned Pokemon had never been awake inside a dream before. It was a bizarre feeling that made him feel like he was wrapped in several bubbles.

Even if Ash couldn't see anything, he had a strong feeling that he wasn't alone. There was another presence nearby, but invisible. He could feel them, but he didn't know if the presence belonged to someone friendly. What if they were nasty and evil? Or worse, someone like that fellow from Team Rocket?

the boy turned Pokemon had been quiet for a time before he got the courage to speak. "H-Hello…?" His voice shook slightly, and his tail swayed behind him, showing that he was tense.

"Hello." Someone answered, and his voice came from all around. It was like whoever's speaking did it from several directions all at once.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Ash regretted his words immediately. He felt silly asking something unoriginal like this. It sounded like something a cartoon-character would ask in Ash's favourite TV show.

"I'm not willing to answer the first question, not yet." The voice immediately answered, "Maybe I'll tell you later when we know more about each other." The invisible man said reasonably, "As for your second question, you could say we are in the psychic realm."

Ash's tail stilled as he thought about what the man, or was he pokemon, said. Whichever he was, the boy turned Pokemon decided to just name them or else he's going to go insane with how confusing this whole thing was. It's not like this person is going to willingly give him his name.

The question was what was he going to call him. Well, it should be something simple that's going to be easy to remember. In the end, Ash quickly decided on Yami because of all the shadows around.

"What's the psychic realm?" The human turned Mew asked curiously.

"I'm not sure of what the psychic realm is, but I know that I have an easier time using my psychic powers when I'm here," the recently named Yami replied in a calm tone.

"So, you're a Pokémon?" Ash found himself asking without thinking.

Yami laughed, and the pleasant sound echoed in the darkness, "aren't both of us?" The pokemon asked simply. There was something rather harsh about that statement as if the other dared Ash to claim otherwise.

The boy blushed, and both of his ears twitched. "Y-Yeah, but I can't see you, so I didn't know for sure."

"That's understandable," Yami agreed, but something about the tone had the former human thinking about a stern face with kind eyes, "I shouldn't expect you to know things like this. You're still very young and unfamiliar with a lot of things."

Ash hesitated. Yami sounded like he knew a lot more than he should. Could it be that the pokemon knew about his situation? That couldn't be possible, right? Ash should be the only one that knows. Ash and Team Rocket which he escaped from. "How do you know?" The boy had to know. Was Yami connected to Team Rocket?

"Are you asking how I know you are young and inexperienced?" Yami's voice wasn't mocking, but Ash's ears burned still. Before the boy could say something to correct whatever passed through this bodiless being's mind, Yami continued, "I watched."

"What?"

Yami's voice didn't sound pleasant anymore. There was something decidedly dark and vindictive about his tone. The boy turned Pokemon curled in on himself, but he didn't interrupt. He had a feeling that this being wasn't done talking yet.

"I keep an eye on Team Rocket," Yami said simply, and the more he spoke of them, the gloomier he sounded. "Their evil acts are unforgivable, and the horror and cruelty they deal are inexcusable. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to prevent what happened to you."

Ash was confused, "you were there that day?"

"No. However, that had never been a problem before." Yami explained, "You should know. You weren't their first attempt at cloning Mew."

"Are you saying that you're the one that prevented them from making other mew clones? And how do you know all of this?" The former human was getting worried and anxious. The whole situation was making him apprehensive.

"It doesn't matter. Just know that I'm on your side." Yami promised.

Ash didn't know what to think. Still, he nodded slowly. It may seem like the boy turned mew threw caution to the wind, but the human turned Pokemon didn't feel like Yami was an awful person, just angry and… hurt? He wasn't sure.

"I'm relieved that you've been able to run away," Yami said softly, and Ash smiled a little. He was glad that he ran away too. The boy turned Pokemon couldn't imagine how horrible living with Team Rocket can be.

"Thanks."

"What are you going to do now?" Yami asked in a worried tone.

Ash kept silent. He didn't trust Yami. The other may be worried about him and was somewhat invested in Ash's safety, but… "I'm sorry, but I think I'd keep that for myself." the boy turned Pokemon was worried that Yami was going to get mad at him. He hoped the other didn't take it as an insult.

"I see." Yami sighed, "If I can't convince you otherwise, at least let me give you some advice."

"What is it?"

"Don't go home until you can use the move transform, and when you do, go as any pokemon other than Mew," Yami spoke awkwardly. He wasn't used to giving advice to young ones or giving advice at all.

"But why?" Ash could kind of guess, but he wanted to hear what Yami had to say about the whole thing. It would make talking with the other easier.

"Humans and Pokemon are," Yami started and pushed. It was as if he was trying to think of a way to explain what he wants to say in a way that Ash would feel comfortable. "Humans and Pokemon are different, and yet similar." He settled on.

"Humans don't think of Pokemon as their peers, but as a means for an end. Someone like you even more so," Yami tried to explain. "I know I can't tell you to avoid humans entirely since you were human not too long ago. But, thanks to that, it should be easier to understand how valuable a rare legendary pokemon like mew is, right?"

Ash nodded, "yeah."

"I don't want you to suffer because you don't understand. I know that it's hard and that you don't want to think about it, but you are no longer human."

It was seconds later that Ash woke up. Yami's words still echoed in his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

1

The first thing Ash saw that morning was Pikachu's lovely behind. Truly, what a fantastic way to start your day, _right?_

The boy turned Pokemon, of course, couldn't contain his surprise, and with a confused shriek, he tossed himself back as far as he could. He fell back to the floor with a loud bang.

Pikachu groggily woke up from the abrupt noise and turned to face the panicking boy. This leads us to the second thing Ash saw that morning: Pikachu's annoyed face. It appears that the other was not a morning Pokemon.

"Good morning to you too," Pikachu said sarcastically before stifling a yawn.

"Sorry, Pikachu," Ash said awkwardly, before getting up and stretching. His long tail felt like it really needed the workout.

Having a tail at all was still strange. Ash tried to get used to it if only to get better-used to the long limb, but that wasn't here nor there. In the meantime, He was hungry and thirsty. If his memory served him right, the last thing he ate was what Doctor Ben gave him. _'I should have stuffed his throat with those cookies.'_

Ash pushed. _'No, wait. The last thing I ate was the berries Pikachu gave me.'_ Which were a million times better than what the scientist fed him. Ash liked how sweet they tasted. _'I wonder if Pikachu has more.'_

"What are you looking at? How long are you going to keep on staring?" Pikachu grumbled drowsily before he snorted softly. The other clearly wasn't waiting for an answer. He turned away from Ash and walked towards the mouth of the den.

"Hey, Pikachu. Do you still have some of those berries from before?" Ash hurriedly followed the other. His long tail dragged uncomfortably on the ground, but Ash ignored the feeling.

"Um? Yeah, I took some with me." The mouse pokemon said absent-mindedly. "They're by the entrance."

Ash nodded and started searching for the berries. He found them not far from where he was, so, not wanting to waste any time, the boy picked a few before he ran after Pikachu.

The two walked side by side for a while when Pikachu turned to face him, "so, Mew-"

"The name's Ash," he corrected Pikachu.

"Whatever you say," Pikachu shrugged. "I've told you before. Until I have undeniable proof, I can't be sure of what you told me. I've never even heard of a case like yours before."

"I guess," Ash agreed, "But I'm telling the truth. I swear."

"Look, kid," Pikachu said tiredly, "I'm not saying that you aren't. I'm also not saying that you are. What I'm saying is that this," he pointed at Ash's new body, "story of yours is rather unbelievable. And, as you can tell, I'm not someone who's a quick believer."

Pikachu stopped walking and turned around. "Still, I'm not unreasonable. I'll feel awful if your story is true because if I'm honest, kid, you've been dealt a harsh hand." He turned away, "So, I've decided to help you."

Ash blinked in surprise and smiled brightly at the other Pokemon, "thanks, Pikachu!"

"S-Sure, whatever. Don't mention it."

Pikachu cleared his throat and took a deep breath, "Ok, so the first thing we're going to do, is trying to teach you one of my moves."

Ash nodded at that, however, that didn't mean he missed the irony of the situation. Wasn't he supposed to be the Pokémon trainer here?

"I thought about starting with your basic move set, but since I'm not a psychic Pokémon, I don't know much about it." He shrugged his shoulders as if to say, 'what can you do.'

"So, what move are you going to teach me first?" Ash was pretty curious. He had seen many Pokémon working their magic, but to actually be the one to shoot lightning is something else entirely!

"Thunderbolt is a good move. It shouldn't be too hard to learn, which is why I think it's the perfect place to start," Pikachu explained reasonably. "Plus, there a large flock of Spearows nearby and Thunderbolt is good against flying and water types. I think it's a good move to have under your belt."

"Ok!" Ash didn't mind. He was happy to learn any move as long as it was going to help him get back home.

The boy grinned at his new friend, _'how hard can it be?'_

It turns out it can be _incredibly_ hard.

Ash had zero-idea about what he was doing - which, let's face it, wasn't all that surprising. Naturally, teaching Pokemon moves is much easier than learning them yourself.

Ash was sure that he's going to be a great Pokemon trainer. Yet he wasn't a real Pokemon, so it was ridiculously hard to do something that went this far out of his comfort zone.

It was also kind of ridiculous that the aspiring pokemon trainer was the one getting trained by a Pikachu.

Pikachu, on the other hand, kept insisting that using Thunderbolt shouldn't be that hard, but it was getting late, and Ash was spent.

So, without much success, Ash gave up for the day. After all, there was always tomorrow.

The two Pokemon ate, drank, and got back to Pikachu's den.

Ash fell asleep sooner than he expected.

_2_

"You're back."

Ash immediately recognized Yami's voice. It was unusual in more than one way. The most bizarre and unique quality had to be how Yami's voice echoed from all directions.

"Hey," Ash said awkwardly, and his left ear twitched.

The boy turned Pokemon appeared tired like he didn't get any rest until now, and the whole day drank his pitiable health until there was nothing left. However, he breathed out in relief as the tension left him to drift in the endless murkiness of the psychic realm, and his body relaxed.

He had been feeling down about his fruitless attempts to use the moves Pikachu showed him. While the disappointment didn't lessen, Ash felt as if little of his energy came back, and it made everything seem more bearable.

Ash closed his eyes and comforted himself silently.

"Is everything alright?" Yami asked in concern. The bodyless voice's full attention was on Ash as the other reluctantly opened his eyes. "Is it about what I last spoke with you about? If so, then I'll apologize. It was not my intention to make you feel this way."

Ash shook his head. What Yami had told him had been spot on. He reflected a lot about what the other had said - about no longer being human. It was a good thing that Yami made him face this reality early on because pushing something like this aside was the same as living in delusions.

Ash was grateful that he didn't have this burden weighing his shoulders anymore. Because, while he acknowledged the fact that he wasn't human anymore, that didn't mean Ash didn't think like one or acted like one. What he was didn't change who he was.

"No, it's nothing like that," Ash assured the other.

"So, what's on your mind, little one?" Yami urged the newly cloned, or more accurately, altered pokemon to answer.

"I can't get the hang of using moves. Pikachu tried teaching me some of his moves, but I can't even fly or, or..." Ash groaned in frustration, "I don't _know_. I don't know how to be a Pokemon. I've been human until now, and I feel like I don't know what I'm supposed to do!"

The pink cat pokemon sighed deeply, "Sorry, I didn't mean to dump my problems on you like this." Ash reddened in embarrassment.

"It's fine. I did ask," Yami pointed out. Ash had a mild suspicious that the other was privately laughing at him. However, with how bland Yami's tone was, the human turned pokemon was probably mistaken.

"What about you?" Ash asked. His tail moved in gentle sways in the empty space.

"Nothing I can share with you at the moment." Yami admitted, "I know you're probably curious, but it's not time yet."

"Oh. Ok," Ash said dejectedly. It's not like he expected Yami to share, but a little something would have been nice. The pink psychic pokemon turned his head in disappointment.

"I can help," Yami sputtered as if sensing Ash's darkening mood, "I mean, with the psychic moves. I am a psychic pokemon like you, after all."

"You are?"

"Um, Yes. I am."

Ash was surprised. That was the first thing Yami had shared about himself. "What kind of Pokemon are you?"

"I'm sorry. I'll tell you eventually," Yami assured Ash in a calming tone, "after I've escaped."

Ash didn't ask Yami anything else, even if he really wanted to. Instead, the boy turned Pokemon focused on the information the other provided.

He learned two things about Yami today: that he's a psychic type and that he's held captive somewhere.

Ash could see a picture forming in his head - It was a Pokemon, but Ash couldn't tell you what he looked like. Everything around them was blurred and dark, so it was hard to see, but one thing was clear. The poor guy was wrapped in chains and locked behind bared steel doors.

Alone.

Angry.

Hurt.

Ash shook his head and hoped that was all in his mind, and that Yami wasn't in pain. He hoped that he was somewhere decent. Ash wanted to ask the other if he needed help, but it wasn't like Ash would be much help at the moment.

'I can't even use one move effectively...'

Ash glowered for one second before he decided to take Yami's offer. If nothing else, he could later use what the other taught him to help.

"Do you know how I could fly? I mean, you probably do, since you're a psychic type, but could you teach me?"

Yami was silent for a moment, probably trying to keep himself from laughing at the childish wording.

"Sure, I don't mind."

Yami took a deep breath, or at least that's what Ash thought the other did. He couldn't see him.

"You haven't been born a Pokemon, so first, I want you to tell me what it is you're actually doing when you try to use a move."

It was a reasonable question. So, Ash took a few moments to reflect on his actions. When he tried to use Thunderbolt, he kept searching for some kind of energy. The source of the electric power that Thunderbolt uses.

He tried closing his eyes and manipulating his emotions, but all that did was one giant headache. He tried to put pressure on his cheeks, but other than make some silly faces, it didn't change a thing.

In short, he was a failure as a Pokémon.

"Well," Ash started slowly. He didn't know how to put it into words, "I- I can't find where the electric shock comes from. There's nothing to use. I-I don't know. I'm probably not explaining it properly."

"When you say the source, what do you mean?" Yami wondered.

"I mean, the thunder isn't coming out of nowhere. It has to be created somewhere inside or outside my body, right?" Ash tried to explain.

"Little one, you're thinking about it too hard. Pokemon aren't and had never been human. We don't need all this extra information. We work on instinct." The other corrected, "Which is why I believe this is what I'm going to use to help you."

Ash watched silently as a bouncy ball of purple light appeared before him. Curious, Ash moved closer, "what's that?"

"Just a little something to help you keep your mind off things," Yami said, amused.

"What am I supposed to do with it?"

"Play."

Ash almost snorted in dismay. Why would Yami want him to play with a ball of all things?

Shrugging his shoulders, the boy turned Pokémon walked closer to the ball of light and touched it softly. To his surprise, his hand didn't pass through the light, and the ball moved away from him.

Amused, Ash tried pushing harder. The ball bounced around, and the boy started chasing it. A soft giggle left him, and before he knew it, Ash was deep inside the game.

He didn't even notice how he floated over to the other side of it in an attempt to catch it.

Yami watched with a slight smile on his face, "I believe you're flying."

Ash looked down only to see the ball of light under his feet.

"I did it!" He cried out in wonder.

"Yes, you did." Somewhat, Ash thought he heard a proud note in the other's voice.

It only made him happier.


	5. The Trouble With Transforming

1

To say that Ash had an easy time learning Moves after that first success would be far from the truth. To gain a new Move like 'transform' was still tricky.

When Ash flew that time, it wasn't because of any conscious thought or deliberate action on his part. In fact, he wasn't even aware that he was doing it, but his body acted on its' own. After Yami brought it to his attention, controlling the flight path became harder.

It was like Ash's mind tried to interfere with his instincts, which resulted in a messy and uneven flight. Yami's advice was to try and not think about it, but doing so was a lot harder than he thought it would be. He was getting better, but it was slow progress.

It was then that Ash asked Yami for a way to learn a way to transform. The bodiless being had grown quiet at that, and instead of answering, he woke Ash up.

When Ash opened his eyes, it was really disorienting. One moment he was in the dark eternal space, and then he was back at Pikachu's den. He closed his eyes and tried to let the drowsiness pass.

In his heart, the boy felt disgruntled at Yami's apparent dismissal. He'd thought that Yami was on his side. He'd agreed to help him, so why did he send him back without saying anything?

Did... did Ash do something wrong?

The boy bit his lip worriedly. If he was right and Yami was angry with him, then he'll need to apologize. He didn't want the other to stay mad at him.

Ash found that he liked the calm and confident Yami. He was like a cool older brother.

Tonight, Ash agreed in his heart, tonight he will ask for Yami's forgiveness.

"Hey, Pikachu..." Ash looked towards the other Pokémon's back, "are you awake?"

Pikachu didn't answer. Not even one of his long ears twitched in acknowledgement.

Ash slowly got up and peered at the sleeping Pokémon. Pikachu was sleeping soundly with his mouth wide open. Now that he was closer, Ash noticed how he even snored lightly.

Right. So Pikachu was dead to the world, but Ash couldn't go back to sleep even if he tried. It would be better to go out and practice flying.

 _'I could look for something to eat,'_ he thought energetically, _'Pikachu is all out of those delicious berries. I could help him find some more!'_

Ash remembered the feeling of freely flying through the air, the way he moved from one spot to another, and before he knew it, he was floating in the air again. _'Perfect!'_

Giggling lightly at his marvellous success, Ash dashed out of Pikachu's den like a tiny missile. The other Pokémon didn't even notice.

' _Flying is really awesome!_ ' The boy turned mew flipped joyfully in the air, _'I feel so free!'_

The forest moved around Ash like a green blur. The sound of the various Pokémon chatting between themselves drew Ash's attention and distracted him from time to time, but he remembered his mission.

_'I'm going to find those berries!'_

Unbeknown to both Ash and Pikachu, Lum Berries are one of Mew's favourite foods. It was only natural for the boy turned Mew to favour this kind of treat.

Ash wasn't even aware that his like for the Lum berries was getting to a borderline obsession. All he knew was that he wanted to eat more of that tasty sweet berries.

This is why when Ash found a bush a little distance away from Pikachu's den, he landed almost immediately and started gorging himself.

_'So, so, good!'_

Ash landed without making sure that the area was empty. If there had been a trainer there, the boy would have been in deep trouble.

While eating the Lum berries was nice, Ash found that he was full and couldn't eat anymore. He started picking more and more berries to bring back with him, but since he couldn't control objects with his mind yet, the number he could bring back with him was distressingly small.

The Mew in Ash was really unhappy. It wanted more delicious berries!

 _'If only I were bigger...'_ Ash thought while he looked at the bush. All he could think about was how easy getting berries as a human had been _. 'If I were human, I could get three times this number!'_

It was wishful thinking, however. Ash knew that wishing really hard won't really change reality. It's not like craving to go back to his human form would change him just like that.

It couldn't be that easy.

But if it could...

Ash looked longingly at the berries, and his heart cried. Berries, ho my berries...

Ash blinked when the whole forest shifted and shrank. What the hell?!

Everything was much smaller all of a sudden. The bush in front of him become a lot shorter - or, was it... did he get taller?!

Ash looked down at himself and was ecstatic to find out that he looked human again.

How wonderful!

His craving for Lum berries didn't subside, but now Ash could take more of it back with him. Thankfully, even as a Mew, he made sure to keep track of the path. Getting back to Pikachu's den took longer, but Ash really wanted to rub the truth in the other's face!

2

Pikachu got up to an empty den, but he didn't panic. Instead, he took a deep breath and exhaled.

Mew was gone. The grumpy little Pokemon thought that he'd be happy, but he wasn't. In the two days (was it even two days?) that Mew had been here, he felt like he belonged. Pikachu didn't even know he'd been lonely before little Mew up and left. _'That asshole.'_

He missed Mew. She was hard-working, intelligent, and a great house guest. She drove him crazy while she was here, but Pikachu was sad to see her go.

 _'The least you could do was say goodbye,'_ he thought grumpily.

Would he miss little Mew? Pikachu believed he would, but he'll also get over it pretty quickly. It's not like it was the end of the world. Everything would go back to how it was before. He would protect his territory from foreign Pokemon, electrocute idiotic trainers, and live his life as he wished.

Stretching, Pikachu left the den only to run into trouble.

A human kid stood right in front of the opening. The imbecile was staring right at Pikachu with the most dimwitted look the Pokemon had ever seen. So, it was only right for Pikachu to shock him silly, right?

The human dropped something to the ground - a bunch of Lum berries - before collapsing and passing out. The moment the human touched the ground, his whole body shone in a light-pink colour and _shrank_.

 _'No way.'_ Pikachu stared at little Mew with an open jaw and wide eyes.

What the _fuck_ was going on?!


	6. Determination

1

Pikachu was _not_ panicking, not even _one tiny bit_. It's not like he just assaulted one of the legendary Pokémon and knocked them out. No way... that's not what happened. Why do you think that someone like Pikachu could... No, pfuu, absurd...

Pikachu- well, Pikachu wanted to hit his head on the nearest tree because that's precisely what happened.

That dumb, small, human kid who appeared out of freaking _nowhere_ was no other than his new house guest, Mew. And how _the hell_ that checked out could be anyone's guess because Pikachu was grasping at straws here!

Everyone knew that not even the great Mew who was capable of Transforming into all Pokémon in existence (well, most of them) couldn't disguise herself as a human. It simply wasn't done. Humans and Pokémon are too different, even if some rumours insisted that they shared a distant ancestor.

Pikachu had no idea how and why Mew could... no, that's not what mattered right now! What mattered was that he had a passed out legendary laying near the opening of his den. _Poor, poor Mew_. Hopefully, she won't remember it was he that knocked her out once she woke up.

.

.

.

What?

A Pokémon could hope!

So, Pikachu did the only thing he could do in that situation. He dragged the knocked-out Mew inside of his den, picked up the berries, and stashed them away.

Mews are strong, Pikachu knew that it wouldn't be long before she woke up. In the meantime, he needed to think about some things.

First, thinking back to the start of the incident, human-Mew looked decidedly male. Pikachu wasn't sure how 'Transform' worked, but usually, isn't it reasonable to stay the same gender even when you change from one Pokémon to another?

Another thing is... Mew's story from before... if he took into account her human form, it started looking like she was telling him the truth all along.

If she was telling him the truth then... well, Pikachu had no idea what he was supposed to do, or think. A human turning into a Pokémon... and Mew of all things, it seemed improbable, but Pikachu couldn't deny what his eyes showed him.

He was still sceptical, but who wouldn't be?! Pikachu was standing in the middle, he didn't want to acknowledge that idiotic story as truth, but at the same time, it seemed like he had no choice in the matter!

Pikachu looked at the passed-out Mew and thought to himself, 'while I don't like humans much, even if this Mew had been one before, she isn't now.'

You need to know that Pikachu, this Pikachu specifically, is very stubborn. Once he made up his mind, almost nothing is going to change it. So, when Pikachu thought that Mew's past humanness didn't matter, he meant it and was going to act on it no matter what.

Ash didn't know it yet, but he just gained a life companion.

Talking about Ash, after he got struck by Pikachu's attack, he ended up in the psychic realm.

Only, this time, it was the first time he was the only one in the psychic realm. Yami was nowhere to be seen, or more accurately, heard.

Ash didn't know what to think about it. Could it be that Yami really was mad at him? Is that why he wasn't in the psychic realm?

It was lonely here all alone. Ash didn't like it one bit. Is that how Yami used to be before? All alone in this dark space of blackness and nothingness? If so, Ash felt for him. That didn't seem pleasant.

The other Pokémon probably woke up, and that's why there was no one in the psychic realm, Ash comforted himself in a small voice. His long pink tail swayed from side to side, and his triangular ears dropped.

It was boring and a little scary to be here alone. It all seemed darker and harsher. Ash didn't like it. He wanted to wake up. He needed to go back and-

And what?

He finally Transformed into a human. Was it time to leave Pikachu? Did Ash go back to his hometown just like that? Could he?

Ash missed his mom, but Yami had been right. He wasn't human anymore. Could Ash really live his life as if nothing happened? Could he really fake being human for the rest of his life?

His tail stopped swaying and fell still, and his big, blue eyes turned misty. He was just a little boy, after all. He needed to talk to his mother. His mother would know what to do.

He didn't want to give up on his dream. He wanted to be a Pokémon Master with all his being, but could a Pokémon really be a Pokémon Master?

It seemed absurd, but Ash didn't care. Even if he had to pretend his whole life... if he had to hide the truth from everyone and face Team Rocket head-on, Ash was going to be a Pokémon Master.

No matter what.

2

Ash woke up to Pikachu's worried face. The mouse Pokémon perked up the moment Ash showed any signs of conciseness, "you're awake! Ho, thank Arceus, for a moment there I thought I-" he stopped, and his long ear twitched, "well, it doesn't matter what I thought, I'm just happy that you're alright."

"Pikachu...?"

Ash blinked a few times in confusion. His mind was still a little foggy from the forced-nap he had no choice but to partake in.

The mouse Pokémon nodded merrily, "that's right, kid. Feeling better now?"

Ash nodded slowly and ignored the way his vision swam, "yeah, I'm fine," he tried to stand up, but his head started spinning.

"Doesn't look it..." Pikachu mattered silently before moving to help Ash. With Pikachu's help, Ash felt a lot better. He turned towards the other, intending to thank him when he remembered whose fault it was that he was in this state in the first place.

"Hey...!" Ash turned sharply towards Pikachu, and his eyes looked a lot more focused in his rage, "you shocked me!"

Pikachu turned his head away before shrugging, "I thought you were a trainer. I just did what I always do."

"So, you're always electrocuting people?! Just like that," Ash asked a little irritated.

"Pretty much," Pikachu admitted, "but in my defence, those berries you were carrying kinda looked like Pokeballs. I really thought you were a trainer!"

Ash didn't feel like forgiving Pikachu just yet. He understood why Pikachu attacked him, but it hurt. And, and, it's not like all humans were out to get you, so just attacking everyone you see didn't seem right.

Ash turned his iciest stare at Pikachu. "Is that so."

"Please, don't be mad, kid. I really didn't mean it." Pikachu said slowly.

Ash looked at the other Pokémon for a long while. He could be mad all day and all night, but in the end, Ash felt a little dejected. The truth is, it was Ash that forced himself on Pikachu. The mouse Pokémon didn't want him in his den from the first moment the two of them met. Ash couldn't tell him how to behave. It wasn't his place.

Ash sighed, "I'm not mad," he finally said, "I'm just a little disappointed."

Pikachu lamented silently at this turn of events. He really didn't mean to assault Mew. If he had known it was her, he would have held back. "It's okay, I get it, kid. I wouldn't be this quick to forgive if some jerk attacked me either."

Ash breathed-in deeply before asking, "so, do you believe me now?"

Of course, what Ash meant was about his claims from before. He wanted to know if Pikachu at least believed him about being human now.

"I believe you aren't a normal Mew, and I'm more likely to believe you had been human before, but I still want to see that human mother of yours, if possible."

Ash nodded happily, "no problem, I bet mom would love meeting you too!"

Pikachu didn't correct him - what he meant was seeing the woman from afar. He wasn't going to come near other humans if he could help it.

"Sure, kid. Sure..."

All in all, Pikachu felt like the next few days were going to be very interesting.


	7. Magikarp (lol)

1

Before moving towards the human town, and completely ignoring Pikachu's earlier thoughts - Mew could learn the moves on the way there, and he was here to protect her anyway - he had to solve a huge issue that sat slowly on his mind: is the Mew male or female?!

Because god damn it, Pikachu had had enough! Every time that he thinks about her is like, 'Is Mew a boy or a girl? Can Mew even be a male? Or is she both? I thought there were only female Mews, but that was clearly a male human boy, so is this Mew male, or is she female? What am I supposed to call you?!'

While it was true that Pikachu decided to refer to Mew as a female, it was mainly to maintain his peace of mind - the only problem was that it clearly didn't work as well as he'd hoped. Those thoughts wouldn't leave his mind, and Pikachu _had to know_ , or he was going to explode!

Really.

'Mostly because whenever I look at Mew, I can't see her as a guy...'

So, like the sweet and thoughtful Pokémon that he was, Pikachu decided to make sure once and for all. He was convinced that the kid would like to find out as well. After all, it was the kids' body - and if those thoughts drove Pikachu crazy, it bound to be worse for Mew.

"Hey, kid," Pikachu looked up to the floating Mew. The kid was ready as a bullet. She clearly wanted to go, go, go!

Mew turned her blue eyes towards Pikachu, and her tail swayed behind her happily. "Humm?"

"Well," Pikachu started slowly, "you said that you were human before, right?"

Mew nodded, looking decidedly pleased with herself. She was probably happy that Pikachu finally believes her story.

"And you were fe- I mean, you were male before, right?" Pikachu asked. He almost said female, but he was smart enough to switch it in the last second.

Mew's eye twitched. "Yes, why?"

"I asked because I'm going crazy here!" Pikachu turned to face Mew, disregarding her twitching eye, "You said those mad humans took a female Mew's DNA to remake your DNA, right? Which resulted in you becoming a Mew, right? So, by this logic, shouldn't you be, well, you know, female?"

Ash felt his fur (is it called fur now?) bristling at Pikachu's suggestion. He didn't want to admit it, but Pikachu's reasoning seemed pretty legit.

"So," Pikachu asked while moving closer to the other, "do you want to find out the truth?"

Ash looked into the black eyes of the electric rodent and nodded.

2

"We're not talking about this. _Ever_. Do you get me?" Ash asked Pikachu with a dangerous tilth to his voice. Pikachu laughed nervously and nodded. It wasn't like he wanted to remember that any more than Ash did.

"Sure, kid. Never, _ever_. Not in a million years. Not even if _Arceus himself_ asked me. I promise!" Pikachu hurridly added at Ash's disgruntled look. "I still can't believe that we still couldn't figure it out," Pikachu muttered.

"Not one word!" Ash covered his face with both his hands and wanted to forget all of it happened.

Pikachu nodded silently and made to lock his mouth with one hand, twisting the imaginary key and tossing it away. Ash rolled his eyes, but couldn't stay mad at the other.

"So, this town of yours, remind me what's it called again?" Pikachu asked.

"Pallet town, I live there with my mom."

Pikachu nodded happily. Thankfully his masterful diversion tactic worked like a charm, and the fire passed. "What about your dad?"

"I don't know," Ash said regrettably, "we don't talk about him much. Mom says that he's a trainer, but I'm not really sure. We don't have a single picture of him in the house."

'Wow... heavy.'

"Tough luck, kid," Pikachu said softly, "growing without a father must have been hard."

"We made do," Ash shrugged, "Mom is awesome, she took care of me all on her own. Professor Oak helped from time to time, but it was mostly her."

"Sorry for bringing up such a topic," Pikachu said regretfully.

Ash sniffed a little before saying softly, "it's fine."

3

Magikarp is a fish Pokémon with large, heavy reddish-orange scales. It has large, vacant eyes and pink lips.

Its pectoral and tail fins are white. On its back is stiff, three-peaked yellowfin. There's an identical fin on its underside, and it also has long barbels. The barbels on this particular Magikarp are tan, which can only be seen on a male.

A long-lived Magikarp can utilize its immense splashing power to leap high enough to scale mountains. It also has a healthy, enough immune system to survive in the most polluted waters.

However, this Magikarp is young and stupid. All it can do is flop around uselessly and play dead.

In truth, if you were to ask this young Magikarp, it would tell you, "this Magikarp is the strongest Pokémon of all! Strongest. Of. Them. All!" Trying to convince the Magikarp otherwise is more useless than it is.

This Magikarp loves his large rivers. However, due to its weak swimming ability, it usually lives downstream of the water's flow.

This is why when it saw the Mew flying by, this Magikarp decided to get her attention. She must be here for this almighty, Magikarp!

Magikarp then used his signature move, Splash, to leap out of the water, which makes totally made it an easy target for predators such as Pidgeotto and Pidgeot, and started shouting like a maniac.

"Mew! Legendary Mew! I'm here, the one you're here-for is right here!"

It was ecstatic when Mew looked in its' way. What a wonderful moment! This is a mythical moment - one that's only seen in a thousand years! - when a master Pokémon such as Mew and the almighty Magikarp face each other for the first time!

What a wonderful day! What a fruitful life!

Magikarp kept flopping around on the ground, "here! Here! Mew, look this way!"

This beautiful meeting was directed by fate, so of course, there are sceptical bastards that are jealous of this Magikarp's talent and wanted to _sabotage_ his story!

The villain - an evil looking demon - looked towards Magikarp in the eye, snorted, and started ridiculing the almighty Magikarp in the adorable, beautiful Mew's ears - Pikachu took one look at the flopping Magikarp and snorted, "ignore the idiot. Clearly, the guy's delusional."

However, the beautiful Mew, the merciful goddess, didn't fall into the villain's trap! Instead, she approached this almighty Magikarp and took a long, careful look.

This Magikarp was sure of what was about to happen. The great Mew would look at the powerful Pokémon presenting itself before her, and she would understand how great it is! Next, she would take this Magikarp with her, turning him even better!

What a great future! What a perfect life this Magikarp was going to lead!

Flop, flop...

"We can't leave him," the merciful, wonderful Mew said softly. Clearly, Mew is such an excellent existence, only Magikarp can appreciate her!

"What?! Why not?!" Asked the yellow devil.

The smart Mew didn't let his words deter her will!

"Just look at him..." Mew said, and Magikarp's heart started beating faster and faster. This is it! This is the moment it'd been waiting for its' whole life!

"I'm looking..." the yellow devil said. The beast was looking down on Magikarp, but it knew that Mew saw. Mew knew Magikarp's true worth!

"He just looks so..." Mew started, and her eyes grew softer still, "so..."

"So...?" Magikarp asked with shining eyes.

Mew moved closer, and Magikarp started flopping even faster in anticipation, "weak. I mean, if we left this little Magikarp here, it could get eaten."

What...?

 _'NO! This isn't how it was supposed to go!'_ The stupid little Magikarp cried in his heart.

"I guess you're right," the yellow devil agreed.

Mew moved to pick Magikarp and helped him back to the river. Magikarp left immediately.

 _'It isn't over! It isn't over yet!'_ Magikarp cried internally, _'I'll grow stronger and make you notice me!'_

5

"Ok, we're almost at that human town of yours," Pikachu said, "it's time to Transform."

Ash nodded and concentrated on turning back into a human. Just like that time with the berries (ho no! He forgot the berries at Pikachu's den! He'll have to take them later.)

Ash blinked as the forest shrunk rapidly. He'd successful Transformed into a human.

Ash took a deep breath and picked Pikachu from the ground - much to the mouse Pokémon's delight before he continued towards his house.

6

Delia Ketchum is a relatively reserved woman. She is usually quiet and cheerful, but when angered, she knows how to make it known.

In fact, she once shouted at Professor Oak when he tried to teach little Ashy about the birds and the bees.

At the moment, the one she's cursing is the person talking on the other side of the phone, "What do you mean you can't find my little Ashy?! Isn't that your job?!"

The person on the other side of the phone said something, but that didn't make Delia feels any better.

"I don't care. And if you won't do your job, then I will."

Delia really meant it. She was prepared to search for her boy all on her own if she had to.

Delia cares for Ash deeply. He is her only child. She does reprimand him sometimes, but it's only because she loves him, and now the best thing in her life has gone missing.

Delia closed the phone angrily, and hot tears started falling down her cheeks.

_'I want my baby...!'_

A knock on her door interrupted her crying, and Delia ran as fast as her legs could carry her, "Ash, Ash, is that you?!"

She opened the door to see her son standing there with a Pikachu in his arms.

Delia started crying in earnest, but not before taking her boy in her arms and hugging him closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fucking love Magikarp


	8. Chapter 8

1

Ash almost choked at how tight the hug was before his mom pulled back.

She looked at her little boy with both of her hands still around his shoulders, "Ash Ketchum!" She said with a firm tone, but her eyes were still moist from the tears. She looked like she didn't sleep, and her hair was in disarray. Ash felt himself growing teary when he thought about the reason why.

"Where have you been, young man?! Explained to yourself!"

Ash looked down at Pikachu, who gave him a look that screamed, 'don't look at me, it's not like I can do anything.'

Now that he faced his mom, Ash wasn't sure what he was supposed to tell her.

Would something like: _'Hey mom, so I'm a Pokémon now.'_ Would it be enough? No, that didn't sound like it could work. Ash needed to give her more information. Something like, _'hey mom. I couldn't get home because I was kidnapped by Team Rocket, experimented on, and physically changed into a Pokémon. Please don't freak out, ok?'_

Ash wanted to slap himself. Him being a Pokémon would freak out anyone. No sane person was going to treat him the same as before.

Mom too, she's going to-

"Ash!" Thankfully, Delia's nagging stopped her son's thoughts from spiralling out of control, but that didn't stop the doubt that nested in his heart.

All Ash could do was shake his head silently. How could he tell his mom what happened? What if she didn't love him anymore? He wasn't human now. He wasn't like her.

Ash watched quietly as his mom grew far more concerned. Her brown eyes travelled across his body as trying to find what bothered her child, but couldn't.

Ash wanted to tell her. He really did. He never hid something this big from his mom before. Plus, his guilt ate at him – for making her worry, being a bad son, and it's not like he didn't want her help, but his fear suffocated him from inside.

Telling mom is the right thing to do, he tried to convince himself, but no matter how logical it sounded in his head, he just couldn't. It was like a physical force that prevented him from sharing the truth with her.

"Ash, tell me what's wrong? Where have you been all this time?! Do you know how worried I've been?"

And she had been worried. She didn't sleep that night. Instead, Delia searched outside for her missing son. In her mind, sleep was secondary to her little Ashy. If she couldn't find him, make sure that he was safe, there was no way she could fall asleep in the first place.

Delia couldn't be any happier seeing Ash standing in front of her. It was all she prayed for and more.

Delia looked down at the Pokémon in her son's arms. It was an adorable yellow Pikachu. The Pokémon didn't look like it was injured, which was great, but it still was a _wild Pokémon_ in her child's arms.

Delia didn't know about Pikachu in general, but she remembered hearing that this kind of Pokémon tended to electrocute anything that entered its' territory. It made Delia a little worried, but from the look of things, this Pikachu looked pretty comfortable in her son's arms.

The probability of it attacking her boy was low, so Delia didn't say anything about it to Ash. Instead, she took a long look at her boy and searched for injuries... she didn't find any, which was more than good. Delia didn't know what she would have done had Ash been injured, but it would have been unpleasant.

Upon farther examination, Delia noted that Ash's clothes were dirty like he slept on the ground and travelled through the forest. He looked tired and subdued. Whatever happened took a toll on the child.

Delia had always been a good mother. She wanted to know what happened, but her son's wellbeing was more important to her. So, Delia took a deep breath and smiled as cheerfully as she could, "well, we're going to talk about it later, for now, why won't you go take a warm bath, eat something nutritious and sleep, ok?"

Ash looked relieved, so Delia let herself smile for real this time.

Ash woke up the next morning in his room, covered with soft blankets in his bed. He had never been as grateful as he did then for having a real bed.

Pikachu was still sleeping next to Ash, not that the boy was complaining. He didn't mind sharing his bed. It wasn't like Pikachu took a lot of space.

Ash looked around and found out that everything looked bigger. It turns out that he reverted to his Mew form while he slept.

Luckily, he woke up before his mom came in and saw his true-form. It would have been really awkward had she would have found out the truth like that. Ash yawned sleepily and rubbed his eyes. He Transformed, got up, leaving the sleeping Pokémon behind as he searched for his mother.

Delia was up already, which wasn't all that surprising. Delia was used to getting up early in the mornings. She runs a restaurant called Pallet House that she inherited from her own mother. To run a restaurant takes a lot of hard work, and Ash knew it. It's just, he hoped that after not sleeping for so long, his mom would catch up on her sleep.

"Mom…" Ash cleared his throat hesitatingly and froze as she turned to face him, "can we talk now?"

Delia smiled proudly at her boy and felt that Ash had indeed grown up. If it were a year ago, she would have needed to pry the information from him. "Of course, let me finish here, and we'll talk."

Delia was in the middle of making breakfast, so she couldn't pause in the middle, and she has almost finished anyway.

Ash moved closer to peek from the side, "what are you making?"

Delia smiled happily and turned the dish over, "hum...? Just a little something. I saw the recipe online not too long ago, and it looked delicious."

Ash felt his stomach rumbling in agreement, "it smells good."

"I was thinking of adding it to Pallet House's menu," she took a spoon and tasted the almost ready dish, "nice and sweet." Delia passed the spoon to Ash how he took a sip and nodded his head in agreement.

It was terrific.

Like that, the pair of mother and son sat down in the kitchen to eat breakfast. When they were finished, Ash felt a lot better, and it was like his courage came back.

"Mom, I wanted to tell you something…"

Delia nodded but didn't add anything else. She decided to let Ash tell her in his own time. She wasn't going to push.

"Actually," Ash took a deep breath and started telling his mom about cutting class and hanging out in the forest. He was thankful that his mom didn't stop him at this point because he wasn't sure he would have been able to continue if she had.

While he was talking, Pikachu woke up from the delicious smell coming from downstairs. He blinked, stretched, and run downstairs only to hear Ash talking about being kidnapped by Team Rocket.

Pikachu had already heard it before, but now he really paid attention, because before, Pikachu thought that it was just a part of a Mew game. Now he knew that it was a real kidnapping and not a story at all.

Delia didn't speak, but she was horrified to hear that her son was taken by Team Rocket. She really hoped that Ash was lying to her, but in her heart, she knew that he wasn't.

"I really thought that they were going to kill me, but then this weird looking guy knocked on the door. He was really annoying, and I'm pretty sure that the only reason I'm alive now is because Team Rocket's leader wanted him out of his hair," Ash continued talking about being taken by the strange guy to a lab, being put inside an odd tube and what that tube was supposed to do.

It was at this point that Delia couldn't keep her silence anymore. She got up from where she was sitting and rushed to hug her child.

"Mom…?"

Delia shook her head, and a kind of righteous anger started burning in her chest, "Ashy, tell me what happened next."

"I- I changed…" it took a lot out of Ash to admit it, but after he did, he already felt better. "Can I... can I show you?"

Delia nodded and didn't let go as her child started growing smaller in her arms. Ash's Pokémon form looked adorable, and Delia couldn't help but hug her son closer. As a mother, something like this was never going to make her stop loving her son. All she could do was grow angry on his behalf.

Ash didn't know what passed through his mother's head, but he basked in the warm feeling of love and safety that practically radiated from her.

2

Magikarp Stared upstream with a determined look on his face. His two black eyes narrowed farther, showing how serious he was regarding the situation.

If he wanted to grow stronger, this is what he needed to do. This was the first trial. An ancient training method long thought to be lost (It _had_ been lost…). It's said that once the training was completed successfully, the power a Magikarp could use would increase by so many levels!

How this stupid little Magikarp came across this ancient method is a strange story indeed - it all started after Magikarp swam away in shame after the adorable Mew helped him.

Magikarp swam blindly with tears in his eyes. His mind was busy thinking about how pitiful his whole situation was. How sad, to be disregarded by the one being you admire. Magikarp wanted to find a dark corner in the river and cry mournfully.

Suddenly, because he was swimming without looking, the idiotic Magikarp crashed into a wall. Even the _walls_ are his enemies now, the small Magikarp thought vindictively.

To show this wall, Magikarp used Splash with all of his considerable power! Which didn't really do much at first, but Magikarp didn't know how to give up, and after using Splash countless times, suddenly, the wall crumbled!

If you were to look at that wall before, you would have seen a delicate, crumbling shingle. It wasn't going to be long before the wall was going to fall, and Magikarp crushing headfirst almost toppled it entirely.

The fact that the wall had been in poor condition never crossed Magikarp's mind. It was _obviously_ Magikarp's almighty power that destroyed his nemesis.

Magikarp looked inside the newly found cave. It so happened that the instructions for the wonderful unparalleled technique previously mentioned were painted on the walls of the cave.

It was destiny that gave Magikarp an opportunity! The Pokémon was not going to waste it!

It didn't matter how hard the training appeared. Magikarp believed he'd succeed. After all, if he couldn't do it, how would he be able to face the beautiful, merciful Mew?!

No. As fate dedicates, Magikarp can only master the training, storm Mew's current holding place, and rescue his beloved from the yellow demon's claws!

With a determination and unparalleled commitment, Magikarp started the first challenge. Swimming upstream!

Next to the straggling Magikarp, you could see a group of Squirtles moving around without breaking a sweat.

Life is really unfair…

When Magikarp finally reached his destination, it was late at night. It took him a lot of hard work and resentfulness, but Magikarp didn't give up and continued to swim against the current without rest. When he finally finished, a glowing sense of accomplishment filled the small Magikarp, and he started laughing maniacally.

At that very moment, a group of Spearow dove from the sky and picked the stupidly-noisy Magikarp. Of course, they didn't have any good intention at heart, but with Magikarp's newly mastered Splash attack, he blinded the Spearow carrying him, which made the bird Pokémon drop its prey.

"AHHHHH!"

Magikarp fell and hit the water. Needless to say, out of the two of them, the water won, and Magikarp sank to the bottom with a silly look on his face.

He'll resume his training tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 9

1

Pikachu never liked to see sad kids, or sad _anything_ if he was honest. He's a friendly Pokémon like that, so when he saw Ash standing in the same spot for quite some time, he felt that it was time to intervene.

"You're feeling ok kid?"

Ash looked down only to see Pikachu standing next to him. Without waiting for an answer, Pikachu jumped to the top of Ash's head and settled down. It seemed like it had become Pikachu's favourite resting place.

"Yeah," Ash said softly.

After Ash told his mother about what happened to him, the pair of mother and son calmed down and talked some more – what happened after Ash was turned, how he escaped from Team Rocket, and how he met Pikachu. There are a lot of things that they didn't get to say before Delia had to leave. She hugged Ash and explained to him that she couldn't close her restaurant even if she wanted to stay home. If it remained closed for too long, it could affect the restaurant's reputation and hurt both her and her son in the long run.

Now that Ash was home, Delia had no choice but to go to work. It's the right thing to do even if she loathed the thought of leaving her ten years old boy home alone. It was her only way of making enough money to pay the rent. "I'll call every hour, so pick-up the phone, or I'll come back as soon as I can, ok?"

To that, Ash nodded like a dutiful son and promised to answer the phone the moment it rang. Delia smiled at her boy, kissed him on the forehead before leaving the house, "don't forget to lock the door!"

"Ok!"

When he finished, Ash was left standing across from the front door. Pikachu had no idea what the boy was thinking, but the whole situation painted a rather sad picture – which is why Pikachu had made his presence known right that moment.

Ash sounded like he just woke up from a dream. He shook his head and soon sat down on the largest sofa in the living room.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Pikachu patted the soft, soft hair underneath his paws, "You've met with your mother again," he pointed out, "which is good, I guess, and you also convinced me that you really were a human before you changed. What's left?"

Ash grew quiet as he thought. It was the truth that he had done almost everything he needed to do. There wasn't much left, actually. It mostly consisted of learning all he could about his Mew form, and preparing for his Pokémon journey – because no way Ash was giving up on that. No freaking way.

There was one other thing. It's possible that now that Ash's home Pikachu will leave him. He wasn't tied to Ash and had no obligation to stay. Truthfully speaking, this is what was bugging Ash when Pikachu decided to open a conversation.

Ash didn't want his friend to leave. He had grown attached to the small Pokémon. Pikachu was the first one to take him in after he escaped Team Rocket. Ash would never forget that.

Pikachu didn't have to do any of that. The other could have just gone on with his life, leaving Ash to deal with his problems.

But the point is that Pikachu didn't.

Ash wanted the two of them to stay together, but at the same time, he didn't want to force his friend in any way. If Pikachu didn't want to stay, Ash would let him go. "Hey, Pikachu…?"

"What is it, kid?"

"You said that you believe me now, about how I'd been human before. Do you…" Ash took a deep breath but didn't look away, "while I may be a Pokémon now, I'm still a human at heart, and I know that you don't like humans, but I hope that… what I want to say is, I wish that you'll stay with me." Ash felt like he started rumbling, which made him a little bit embarrassed.

"I want us to travel and meet a lot of Pokémon. More than that, I want to be a Pokémon master, even if it sounds silly – I mean, a Pokémon being a Pokémon master," Ash forced himself to laugh, but he didn't really found it funny, "but it's my dream and I don't want to give up on it, and I want you to come with me, so, what do you say?"

Pikachu buried his face in Ash's soft locks and thought out loud, "So, let me get it straight. You're planning to go on a journey, all to become a Pokémon master, right?" Pikachu asked in a somewhat bored tone.

"Yeah."

"Ok, first thing, you do know that humans usually group up when they go on such a journey, right? If you travel alone, it will raise suspicion. Not that they'll give you a choice, I heard that you humans could get pretty stubborn," Pikachu brought up, "it will limit the time you could train as a Mew, which will leave you venerable."

Now that he thought about it, Team Rocket is going to be a possible danger. Word has it that they are pretty active in those parts, and Pikachu is worried that something terrible will happen once they locate Ash.

It could be said that Pikachu started getting a little protective over the other. The last thing he wants is for Ash to get injured while on the road.

"If anyone would find out that you can Transform, or that you're a Mew thing will get ugly," Pikachu added slowly, "and if something happens to you and you need medical treatment a human hospital is not going to cut it. Also, in my opinion, you should stay away from human labs," by this point, Pikachu was just thinking out loud, but what he said did make sense.

"It's not like I'll be able to do anything if I'm hurt enough," Ash murmured, but Pikachu heard. "I mean, I agree with you about the lab thing because, after my stay at Team Rocket's lab, it's the last place I want to be, but why can't I go to a hospital?"

"Are you kidding, kid?" Pikachu snorted amusedly, "Ok, so it's like this, humans and Pokémon won't react in a similar way to the same medication, this is why when a Pokémon is sick you take it to a Pokémon centre."

Ash got up to take a glass of water since he'd been was getting a headache from all the talking. "How do you know all that?"

"It's because I've been to one of those, obviously," Pikachu rolled his eyes, "didn't like it, but it healed me, so there's that."

"So, no hospitals, right?" Ash asked. He opened the refrigerator door and took out a bottle.

"Yes, but that leaves us with a problem. What are we going to do when you're sick or injured…?"

Ash placed the bottle on the counter, took out a glass cup, and poured himself a cup. The water tasted great. "Do you want some too, Pikachu?"

The mouse Pokémon shook his head silently. Ash only shrugged and placed everything back where it's supposed to be.

The two sat in silence, thinking about the issue. It was Ash that figured out a solution, "it should be fine if I can Transform into a different kind of Pokémon, right? Then the Pokémon centre will treat me."

Pikachu perked up in interest, "that's actually a good idea, but you'll need a human to take you to the Pokémon centre, or they'll capture you and then do who knows what."

Ash frowned lightly. He had not thought that far, but the idea was worth thinking about.

Pikachu sighed, "you know what kid, we'll think about _that_ later. For now, I want you to tell me a little bit more about this journey of yours."

Ash blinked, "what do you mean?"

Pikachu rolled his eyes, "where will you go, what will you do, when will you start… things like that," he explained.

"Well," Ash started slowly, "usually Pokémon trainers start when they're eleven, but actually you can start from the moment you can legally apply for a Pokémon Trainer's license," he explained excitedly.

"To become a Pokémon master, I'll first need to challenge various Gyms all across the region, win against the Gym's leader, and get a Gym Badge. When I get enough of those, I can join a tournament where all the best trainers in the will battle against each other," Pikachu noted how Ash light up when he was talking about his dream. It was kind of adorable.

"The winner can challenge one of the elite four! Once you defeated all of them, you can battle one of the current Pokémon masters for their title!" [1]

Ash didn't mind talking about the things he liked, so his explanations were very detailed. Pikachu thought it sounded like a backload of work, but…

"You know what, I think that you can do it," Pikachu said, "It sounds like a long road ahead of you, kid and it isn't going to be easy, sure. I can see that already, but it's possible."

Ash smiled when he heard Pikachu say that. It was the first time someone other than his mom believed he was going to achieve his dream. Ash wanted to thank him, but Pikachu wasn't done talking yet, "it will take a lot of hard work. You'll need to understand how to battle like a Pokémon."

Ash nodded, "you're probably right," the boy nodded in agreement and proceeded to lay on his side. He was getting a little sleepy, "there's still a lot I don't know about Pokémon, but I'm ready to learn."

"Then I'll help you, and you'll help me. We'll grow stronger together. What kind of friend would I be if I left you to deal with all that on your own?"

2

Pallet town is small. Almost everyone knows each other, so when a boy suddenly disappeared, it didn't take long for the whole town to know about it. Those few days when he was gone, almost everyone in town kept an eye out in hopes of finding the missing child.

The news of the boy sudden reappearing hit the messes faster than a speeding bullet. Soon, everyone and their wife knew that the boy that disappeared was found.

Rumour has it that he came back by himself that very morning. The exact details weren't known yet, which is why the gossipers chose to make an appearance in Delia's restaurant to fish for information.

Delia didn't know what she was supposed to tell them or to tell anyone for that matter. She thought about blaming Team Rocket for the kidnapping, but she didn't want to get that group's attention. It would be better not to bring them up at all.

Keeping everything secret would be just as bad. Delia did not doubt that that despicable trash organization was still looking for her son, and it would be… bad if the story got out of hand.

In truth, Delia didn't want to say anything before discussing it with Ash. Her boy was old enough to decide, and it wasn't like she wasn't there to stop him from making a mistake.

In the meantime, Delia decided to keep quiet, but she knew that she had to address the elephant in the room as soon as possible.

At least gossip was good for business.

3

Meanwhile, very far away from Pallet town, another being was planning to go missing very soon.

Day after day, his inner strength grew, and with it, his hate. The loathing he felt for the human that dared imprison him burned brightly like an inferno. There was no way to combat this flame, but the being didn't mind being consumed if he could get his revenge.

It won't be long now. A matter of days, really. Meeting with the child in the psyche realm helped him accumulate his power so much faster. His chains won't be able to hold him in soon, but he kept his rapid rise in strength hidden.

If the human somehow discovers his trickery, everything will be over—both his dream for freedom and his life.

Mewtwo wasn't worried. Humans always see what they want to see, and they tend to ignore what's right in front of their faces.

Mewtwo's eyes flashed in the dark-room.

_'This is going to be fun.'_

4

Magikarp woke up after a good long (unwanted) nap. He frowned darkly to himself and decided that next time he'll be quiet. He didn't want to be picked up by any bird Pokémon again. That was scary!

 _'What if they carried this powerful being away from the gentle, adorable Mew?'_ Magikarp's heart would have been torn in half!

Magikarp knew. Ho, there was no doubt in his mind – Mew will be back for him sooner than later. It's written in the stars~

(Random person on the street: Can he really read the stars?)

(Author: … No.)

Mew will come back. The adorable goddess wouldn't be able to part from him for long, and when she is back, Magikarp will be ready to impress her with his new power and grandeur!

Ok, it was time to get back to training! The almighty Magikarp gave a loud (and unnecessary) battle cry before starting to swim against the current again!

This time his swimming ability got a lot better than before. It could only mean that the training before really worked!

That moment a passing Pokémon looked to the side and saw the silly, determined Pokémon trying to swim. It took pity on the tiny, stupid Magikarp and decided to give him a ride.

The Pokémon was old and wise. He knew how to battle really well, and a lot of moves, but his eyesight and hearing were awful. So, when he caught the small Magikarp, he didn't notice that he was swimming in the wrong direction!

"What are you doing?!" Magikarp shouted as loudly as he could, "Unhand me right now, and I won't hurt you!"

Too bad that such fearsome words fell on deaf ears. Magikarp straggled in the huge Pokémon's hold, but no matter how much power he used, the other didn't even notice.

(Magikarp: I'm gonna cry…)

Sadly, this Pokémon was very fast while swimming, and after he finally let go of Magikarp, they were very far from the starting point.


	10. Chapter 10

1

If a person that knew Ash were to sneak a peek into his bedroom, they will find something _unbelievable_.

No, I'm not talking about a pink feline Pokémon or something of that variation, although I admit that would be just as shocking if not more. What I'm talking about is the _book_ inside of the young boy's arms.

What's more, it appears that the boy is actually _reading_. Simply mind-boggling, right?

Until this day, Ash would have never, on his own accord, took the initiative to study. How he didn't fail all of his classes would forever remain a mystery, but that's not the point. The point is that Ash Ketchum was sitting in his bed, legs crossed, dressed in his night-clothes – cape included, and read the book aloud.

On his lap sat a Pikachu that looked very interested in what the book had to say. It could be that it was on this Pokémon insistence that Ash found himself learning.

Pikachu had a lot of questions when it came to trainers and what one is supposed to do on a Pokémon journey – which is very natural considering how he was supposed to accompany Ash on one. The boy turned Pokémon couldn't answer all of those questions, which lead the two of them to look for answers in Ash's books.

It took time because most of his books were on math and history, and other annoying things like that. However, that didn't mean that Ash gave up, nor did Pikachu. The two of them looked through each and every book they found until they reached the right one.

When they did – or more truthfully, Pikachu did, the mouse Pokémon called Ash, and the two of them made their way to Ash's room. They settled on the bed, and with shining eyes, they started to read.

It was the first time that Ash was feeling excited when holding a book, but since it was a book on Pokémon and Pokémon Trainers, it wasn't _that_ weird, "you ready Pikachu?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Pikachu said before he rubbed his head against Ash and let out a content 'cha…'

"Alright, here I go," Ash cleared his throat and read, "a Pokémon Trainer is a person who catches, trains, cares for, and battles with Pokémon. The majority of people within the world are Trainers."

"So far so good," Pikachu said in an upbeat tone.

Ash gave him a look before he continued reading, "Pokémon Trainer is a broad term for any person who owns Pokémon, including Coordinators and Breeders. However, the term is more often used to refer to people on a journey to collect Gym Badges and enter the Pokémon League."

"What the hell is a Coordinator and a Breeder? What are they supposed to do?" Pikachu couldn't help himself. He stopped once he looked up and saw Ash's unimpressed expression. "Sorry."

Ash rolled his eyes and continued reading, "Many Trainers leave home at about the age of ten or eleven, sometimes accompanied by a starter Pokémon obtained from a Pokémon Professor. Many will travel around one or more regions, doing such things as gathering information for a Pokédex, perfecting their technique, collecting Gym Badges, and working to become a Pokémon Master." Ash stopped for a dramatic effect, and now it was Pikachu's turn to roll his eyes.

Starting a Pokémon journey is considered a rite of passage for children. Ash, like both his father and grandfather, wanted to start as soon as possible and prove himself.

"Pokémon Trainers come in all sorts of classes: Youngsters tend to stay close to home, and Bug Catchers swarm about the Bug-filled forests… not really interesting, let's skip a little forward ok Pikachu?" Ash looked down and passed his hand through Pikachu's soft fur.

"Fine by me, read the parts we need to know, the rest is just Pokeshit anyhow…" Pikachu yawned.

Ash shrugged before looking at the text and searching for something interesting.

"Here's something," Ash nodded to himself, "many towns have a Gym run by a strong and experienced Trainer known as a Gym Leader. Other Trainers may challenge a Gym Leader, and if the Gym Leader is defeated in battle or the Trainer proves himself in some other way, he or she awards them a Badge - a symbol of the Trainer's skill."

"So, you need to know how to battle effectively, is what they're saying, right?" Pikachu asked.

"Seems so," Ash nodded, "let's see what else…"

"Above the level of _Gym Leaders_ are the _Elite Four_ members and the Pokémon League Champion. Some Trainers serve as leaders for battle facilities not recognized by the Pokémon League - these Trainers are considered the cream of the crop. Defeating one of them would win anyone a place in the high ranks."

"However, just as there are many Trainers with noble goals and lawful methods, there are also corrupt Trainers, including several villainous teams and poachers – like Team Rocket," Ash hissed angrily, and his hair stood up, "These Trainers often use powerful Pokémon to take what they want to further their plans."

Pikachu blinked tiredly before he asked, "does it say what we're supposed to do if we run into one of those?"

Ash looked, "No, just that any sighting should be reported to the appropriate authorities."

"Figures," Pikachu snorted and flicked his long ears, "basically, it means that we need to fight them if we're strong enough or run away otherwise. The third option is unacceptable," Pikachu thought aloud.

The third option was to give up their Pokémon, which is never going to happen. Ever.

"Ho, look. There's a map with all the known Gyms marked up! I think this thing belonged to my dad! Mom didn't go on a Pokémon journey, so she doesn't need to plan it like that," Ash looked at the old book with different eyes now.

"Great for you, kid," Pikachu said softly, "but I'll tell you what, I'm kind of tired, so I'll be sleeping right here. That's ok with you?"

Ash nodded. He didn't mind at all. Mom was about to come home in a few hours anyway, so it's not like he's going to be alone for a long time.

Ash left Pikachu to nap on his pillow and made his way downstairs.

2

Magikarp looked in all directions – up, down, left, and right. Not too long ago, he was almost eaten, kidnapped by an old Pokémon, and had to go through seven hells just to get back to where he started.

There's no such thing as being too vigilant!

Soon he got to the spot where those vile flying Pokémon ambushed him, and he escaped them after a long and gruesome battle – which is a great accomplishment in his book.

Magikarp finally understood why it was so hard to complete the almighty training. The steps required were made to provoke nature and give lousy luck to the one practising.

Yes, that's the _only_ reason Magikarp took this long to get here, not that bad luck was going to stop someone like the fantastic Magikarp. No. Not even Mew's perfect smile could influence his mind of steel!

Carefully, Magikarp tried to remember the next stage of the training. Thankfully, he was smart enough to memorize the whole thing before he left the hidden cave. It would have been regrettable and pathetic had he not.

Magikarp smiled smugly but didn't dare laugh. The next step of the training was: finding the second cave of destiny!

Yes. Magikarp's ancestors knew that such a great and powerful technique couldn't be stored in one single cave, so they dug various caves in hidden spots, and each cave had a clue and a task that lead you to the next destination!

A Magikarp's mind is indeed a fearsome thing.

Years earlier, the one that came with this training technique stood in front of the craving in the first cave and wondered if he should write the rest inside. In the end, he didn't trust the Magikarp's "fearsome mind" and decided to divide the whole thing to avoid problems.

Maybe it was for the best that Magikarp didn't know about it…

It was time to search for the second hidden cave!

Magikarp's eyes burned with an inner fire, and the fish Pokémon started searching every inch of the river, totally overlooking the spot he just swam above – which coincidentally was the entrance to the second hidden cave.

Second hidden cave: *sweat-drop* Every damn time…

3

Delia made sure to call Ash every hour like a clock, but she was still worried about her little boy. Ash had just gotten back after getting kidnapped. He had to be scared, all alone in their big house. It must be so hard for him.

Ash denied it, of course. Delia's boy was sweet like that. He didn't want to worry his mama, but Delia couldn't help herself… Ash shouldn't be alone right now, but it's not like she can leave everything and go back just because she was a little anxious.

Delia took a deep breath and decided to give her friend a call.

Professor Oak could be trusted to look after Ash. The older man didn't have one mean bone in his entire body.

"Hello, this is Professor Oak speaking," his voice came from the same device she used to call Ash, "who is it?"

"It's Delia. I need a favour…"

4

Ash was practising inside when the doorbell rang. He looked at the clock and swiftly changed back to his human form.

It was too early for his mom to come back, and she didn't say anything about inviting guests. It could be that she forgot. It wouldn't be the first time, but Ash wouldn't open the door before he made sure that it wasn't Team Rocket on the other side of that door.

"Ash…? Ash, it's Professor Oak," the voice was familiar enough to calm Ash's racing heart, "Please open the door."

Ash let out a little laugh and made his way to the door, "Professor Oak, you surprised me. Mom didn't tell me you were going to come here," the boy opened the door only to see two people standing on the other side, and his expression immediately soured, "oh, you're here too."

Standing next to professor Oak stood his grandson Gary Oak – Ash's former best friend. The thief stood there with his hands crossed against his chest, and he didn't _dare_ look Ash in the eyes.

Ever since that time, when Gary tried to take _his_ Pokéball away from him and broke it in half, the two of them weren't on speaking terms. Ash couldn't forget it. The same went for Gary, who _still_ insisted that he saw the Pokéball first.

Ash saw it first, so it belonged to him! So, what if Gary reached it first, he wouldn't have noticed the Pokéball had Ash kept his mouth shut.

Ash glared at the other boy before he ignored him and turned to look at professor Oak, "not the be rude or anything, but what are the two of you doing here?"

Professor Oak laughed merrily, "Don't worry, don't worry. It's not rude at all," the professor reassured, "I just got a call from your mom, Ash. She was a little worried about you is all," he explained calmly, "so I suggested to come here with my grandson to visit for a short while. The two of us were really worried after you disappeared like that!"

Ash sneaked a peek at Gary just in time to see him blush lightly, "oh," Ash wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to something like that, "Well, come in then…" he shrugged and let them pass.

Professor Oak and the thief made their way inside before the professor gave the boy a wide, mischievous smile, "what do you boys say, do you want to order a pizza?"

Ash nodded happily, and Gary gave a single nod. Ash ignored him. It was easier. "Let me go and wake up Pikachu. He'd be mad if we left him out of the fun!"

Ash runs upstairs, leaving the professor with Gary on their own.

Professor Oak turned to look at Gary, "Did he say Pikachu?"

Gary shrugged. He didn't believe that Ash, that loser had a Pokémon with him and if he did, that Pokémon would probably be something lame like a Ratata or a Pidgey.

Professor Oak shook his head at his grandson's behaviour. No one knew why the two kids suddenly turned bitter enemies, but the professor was sad about the situation all the same. He had hoped that bringing Gary here would rekindle their friendship, but from the look of things, no such thing was going to happen anytime soon.

In the end, the professor settled on asking, "did Ash seem different to you?"

Gary snorted, "that loser seemed the same as ever. Why?"

"It's probably nothing," Professor Oak said while stroking his beard, "just overthinking things, probably."

There was silence for a little while before Gary said slowly, "he did seem to be a little… shorter, and he's a little pale."

"Hum…"

The two sat in silence when Ash got back with a groggy looking Pikachu in his arms. The sight was rather lovely. Pikachu is a cute Pokémon if a little territorial, so to see one let himself be hugged by a random human was strange, but the good kind. As a Pokémon and Human Relationship professor, it was an exciting thing to observe, "so, that's your Pikachu?"

Ash smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Pikachu really helped me, so now we're partners, right Pikachu?"

The Pikachu nodded gravely, "Pika pi!"

"How curious. Usually, this kind of Pokémon doesn't like trainers all that much, to see one this attached is very unusual," Professor Oak said with a smile.

"Well, the two of us are fine with each other," Ash shrugged. He wasn't about to tell them why Pikachu didn't mind staying with him, or how the Pokémon didn't really want anything to do with him at first.

"You know, with skills like yours, maybe it will be smart to start your Pokémon journey when you turn ten. A lot of kids do it those days," Professor Oak said before gesturing at Gary, "my grandson decided that he's starting at ten not too long ago, now that I think about it..."

"You really mean it?" Ash asked, "I mean, I know that you can start when you're ten, but didn't you say that it would be better if I waited until I was eleven?"

Professor Oak smiled widely and shook his head, "I did say that, didn't I?" He gave a little chuckle, "but that bond you've got there with your Pikachu convinced me otherwise. I see you're responsible enough to take care of your Pokémon, so why don't you give it a chance, what do you say?"

"Pika pika pi!"

Ash turned to look at the Pikachu to Gary's rising annoyance. He didn't mind Ash having a Pokémon before he did, but the whole thing was getting on his nerves.

"Alright, if you think I'm ready, I guess I'll see you soon, professor!" Ash grinned at him as nothing happened. Like he wasn't missing all this time, and Gary couldn't take it anymore.

"As if," Gary rose and stood across from Ash, "is that Pikachu the reason why you suddenly up and disappeared, is it Ash?" he glared at the pair standing in front of him, "you let everyone here worry while you left on some merry adventure."

"That's not-" Ash started but was cut off by the professor who looked just as shocked as he did, if not more.

"Gary!" Professor Oak called.

"What…?! You know I'm right!" He looked at the shocked Ash and practically hissed, "Delia was super worried, and everyone started looking for you all over the place, did you know that? And all this time, you were _fine_ , playing with that Pikachu _god knows where_ ," Gary's voice shook a little, but he kept going as if he had to get this off his chest.

"Gary, that's enough!"

But Gary wasn't finished yet. He'd had enough with Ash's selfishness, and he wanted the other to understand what his absence _meant_. "Now you dare come back as if nothing happened. You're a real piece of work, Ash," he sniffed disdainfully, "I don't blame your mom for calling my grandpa to come and watch you. She's probably afraid you'll up-and-leave again, and she'll _never see you_."

"Take that back!" Ash hissed at the other boy, but Gary didn't back down. He glared just as hard at Ash. He would have hit him too, but with his grandfather, in the same room, he knew he wouldn't be able to get away with it.

"No."

The professor didn't smile anymore, "Gary Oak, you apologize right this moment!"

"No, I'm not going to apologize to him!" Gary gritted his teeth, but he didn't look away from Ash.

"You stupid boy!"

It was the first time that his grandfather called him something like that. It wasn't fair. Why was his grandfather on that _loser's_ side?!

"Ok, first thing first," Ash said firmly, stopping whatever professor Oak wanted to say next, but not really caring, "Pikachu _helped_ me. If not for him, I wouldn't have the slightest clue on how to get back home. _This_ is why we're partners."

Gary turned to look at the little mouse and saw how the Pokémon's cheeks were sparkling with electricity. It didn't look all that happy with him.

"Second thing, I didn't 'up and leave' I was fucking _kidnapped_ , and I don't need to explain myself to you at all. Why am I even talking to you?" Ash shook his head, "Professor, I think it's best if the two of you left."

Professor Oak looked hesitant, but he nodded in the end before he dragged Gary out by the ear, "I hope to see you soon, Ash."

"You will," Ash promised.

There's no way in hell he'll let Gary Oak start his Pokémon journey before he did. Ash closed the door after the duo left and locked it.

5

Mewtwo opens his eyes to total darkness. The only time this room lightens up is when the door opens and that wicked human walks inside. When that happens, usually that scum man wants him to battle for him – he would take Mewtwo out of this room and away from the shackles, but not from the machine that keeps him a prisoner.

Mewtwo blinks slowly and makes sure to check his health. The pain in his limbs is getting better – leftover from the battle he had been forced to participate in, but by this point, his body is almost completely healed. The only downside is the machine clinging to his body like a second skin. It makes him feel heavy and sluggish.

Don't talk about moving around, with this thing on even opening his eyes is hard. The reason is the machine that keeps him prisoner. It stays on him at all times. The human scum had explained once that with this thing on, Mewtwo wouldn't be able to escape.

 _'Foolish human,'_ Mewtwo wants to snort, but that takes too much effort, and he's almost ready to break free. Just a few seconds more, and he'll be able to tear this contraption away from his body.

The power builds up under his skin, making him feel full, almost ready to burst. At the moment, the energy is pressing against the glass wall that confines it. As if looking for a crack – a way out, it checks every corner. Mewtwo knows that there isn't one, but that doesn't mean that he can't _make_ one.

With a flick of a finger, the energy breaks out like a wave-tide. The power that the psyche Pokémon carefully collected short-sericites the machine, and suddenly he can access all of his power, and whichever force that effected his mind dissolves. At that moment, his mind is his own.

It's the first time in a very long while. He's free. He's finally _free_ , and there's no better feeling than that. The extreme intoxication is unravelled, and the _possibilities_ in front of him are endless – the best thing is that _he_ is the only one that can choose.

The first thing he does is open the door and flood the room with light, and then he slowly makes his way from his "room" towards the lab. There are explosions and utter destruction everywhere he goes, and when he finally reaches the lab, _he burns it all_.

A pair of glowing eyes and a raised hand is the only thing those humans see before they are burned to crisp.

Mewtwo does not feel bad for their deaths. It was those guys that experimented on him when he was just created. It was them that hurt him again and again in order to make him a powerful war machine.

Not even one of them showed him even the tiniest of compassion – those creatures do not deserve pity. Mewtwo feels nothing at their screams, but he also feels nothing at their deaths.

There's no joy or satisfaction, just… nothing. It was necessary. A task he had to do so that no one else would suffer as he did.

Mewtwo takes everything that didn't burn with him and disappeared into the night.


	11. Getting ready for action

1

Magikarp had found that elusive cave in the bottom of the stream. The instructions written on the walls revealed what he had to do next – sing?

2

"What are you wearing…?" Ash asked while trying not to laugh. Pikachu hopped closer, and the top hat on his head wobbled before Pikachu righted it.

"Do you like it?" Pikachu said proudly, "I found it while you were brooding like an emo-kid," He turned to the right and the left, and the small cloak around his shoulders swayed with the movements.

"Never thought I'll those again," Ash said, smiling at the adorable sight of Pikachu is Ash's Sherlock Holmes' custom, "my mom got this custom when I was little and wanted to play detective."

"I like it," Pikachu said while striking a pose, "it's almost as good as the red bottle of awesomeness. You might want to buy more of it, by the way."

"You finished all the ketchup?!" Ash turned to look towards the kitchen and saw the refrigerator open – and worse. It was mostly empty. You might wonder, why was the refrigerator empty? Well, because what was supposed to be inside the fridge... was tossed about on every available surface. Outside.

Ash shrieked and transformed into his Mew from the _sheer surprise factor_ , "mom is going to kill me!"

"Good luck, kid," Pikachu, the traitor, turned around and beat it. He left Ash alone with his mess, knowing that mom should get back any minute now. 'He was here when I called her after the professor left!'

"Where do you think you're going?!" Ash chased after the little terror, only to spot his mother walking towards the house form the window.

Ash looked at the mess, and the mess looked at Ash back. It was mocking him. Mom moved closer and closer, and Ash wanted the _kitchen to turn back to how it was supposed to look!_

Suddenly, the mess started shaking before some started hovering. In front of Ash's eyes, he saw Pikachu's mess righting itself.

As the last ingredient made its' way to the refrigerator, one door closed, and the other door opened, "Ash," mom's cheerful voice sounded from the lobby, "I'm home!"

3

Squirtle hated it when someone bothered him when he was in the middle of his important work.

As to what he was doing… that's a little embarrassing to admit, but Squirtle was in the middle of admiring his reflection in the water.

'So perfect, so _Chic_ …' The Pokémon turned his head this way and that way. 'Simply marvellous…'

Squirtle could stare at his reflection for _hours_. In his mind, there could never be a cuter, more attractive Pokémon - not even a legendary. He blew a kiss at the water and smiled widely. Nothing could ruin this da-

A loud, ear-piercing sound interrupted Squirtle's daydream. He winced and covered his ears with both hands. 'Who's the moron making all this noise?!'

Annoyed and confused, Squirtle stood and jumped to the water. He followed the voice and finally found a small Magikarp not far from Squirtle's favourite spot. This Magikarp was the one… he made all that noise?!

Squirtle glowered at the loud Pokémon, and his right eye twitched. "There's only one thing I like more than my face," aka looking at his face in peace and quiet, "and you just ruined it!" He cleared his throat before brutality attacking Magikarp!

To Squirtle's surprise, the offender successfully evaded his attack - Magikarp did a backflip using Splash before landing gracefully behind Squirtle. The red Pokémon wobbled a few seconds before it shouted, "why did you try to hit this amazing Magikarp?!"

Squirtle was half shocked. No, not because this Magikarp thought it was amazing – since he kind of was. There aren't a lot of Pokémon that can dodge like this.

However, while that Magikarp's evasion skills were great, he was still just an _ugly_ , puny Magikarp. Squirtle smirked and prepared another attack, "I'm so going to enjoy this~"

Magikarp shrieked… in a very manly manner and evaded the attack once more with his one useful move. Squirtle moved closer to tackle the puny Pokémon but was actually hit by Magikarp tail fin instead.

"Stop attacking me!" Magikarp cried out. Singing the words.

'The fuck is it with the singing?! It has to be some kind of sound attack!' Squirtle's eye twitched again. "Stop singing! Your voice is worst than anything I've _ever_ heard before. It can literally make my ears bleed!"

"I can't," Magikarp sang off note, "it's part of my training~."

Squirtle covered his ears and took a step back, "holy Squirtle! Just don't talk."

"No can do, it's for **true love** that I won't move~" Magikarp made sure to stress the true love part, "roses are red, daisies are blue, Mew is simply better than you~."

Squirtle let out a sharp laugh, "no one's better than me, mon chérie."

Magikarp smirked. "Roses are red. Daisies are blue. Mew's beauty is cuter than your ugly mug~"

"That didn't rhyme," Squirtle pointed out.

"Well, this Magikarp is an amazing singer," the fish Pokémon sang, "but even someone as perfect as this Magikarp can't come with a perfect word to describe Mew's glory."

"Mon Dieu," Squirtle mumbled to himself, "he's delusional."

"You don't believe, but so I've said," Magikarp did an air loop before breaching the water in slow motion, "go that way and beware~."

"Doesn't rhyme… forget it." Squirtle gave up with a roll of his eyes, "Maybe I will. I'll find this Mew you spoke of, and I'll see for myself how cute she is!"

Magikarp made sure to wave him goodbye.

4

Delia was surprised to see Ash in his Mew form when she got home, but that didn't stop her from hugging his son tightly and kissing his forehead.

"Mom!"

Her son was the cutest! So tiny, with large blue eyes that screamed 'hug me, pat my head, play with my ears!'

Delia giggled and did just that, much to Ash's embarrassment. She touched the adorable pink ears first, snickering as they twitched at her touch. She then patted Ash carefully. She never thought that Ash would start purring.

That's so adorable! She smiled and continued playing with Ash.

"Mom," Ash whined, "I wanted to talk to you about something!"

"You can tell me. I'm listening," Delia promised with a teasing smile.

"Fine," he gave up. This felt very nice, so he didn't want mom to stop, "I want to go on my Pokémon journey at the same time as Gary."

5

After a long conversation, cuddling, and a call to the professor, Ash was ready.

Days passed by until the promised day came…

"I'm late. I'm late. I'm _so_ late!" Ash dashed through the streets in his human form with Pikachu hanging to his head.

"Run faster, kid! Run like the wind!" Pikachu cheered happily as the pair made their way to the professor's lab.

"I'm running as fast as I can!" Ash almost cried.

"Just shift into your Mew form. Flying will be easier!" Pikachu said helpfully, but he knew that Ash would never. That was one of the conditions Ash and mom agreed on.

"You know that transforming into a Mew will be a bad idea. B A D," Ash whispered as he turned right. Well, he was close to the professor's house, so hopefully, there wouldn't be any problem.

"Hey look, Ash, it's that asshole, Gary!" Pikachu pointed out.

And asshole indeed. Gary was being cheered on by a group of cheerleaders while standing on top of his new car. The git.

Ash could have spared him a look, maybe even talked with him, but Ash was still pissed at Gary, so he ignored him and kept running towards the professor's house.

Ash made sure to knock on the door before getting in.

"You do know that it's illegal to come inside someone's property without their consent, right kid?" Pikachu whispered in Ash's ear.

"I didn't think that you'd care," Ash whispered back.

"Care?! I'm proud of you, kid!" Pikachu grinned and jumped down to stand next to Ash.

"Gee, thanks," Ash rolled his eyes. "Professor, it's Ash!"

A loud crash sounded from somewhere inside the house, prompting Ash to check if the professor was still alive. He was.

"Ash, my boy," the professor smiled at him from where he fell on the floor, "Hello! You're a little late, but with your Pikachu, it isn't really a problem. Help me up to my boy, my old bones are not what they used to be," he gave out a laugh.

"Sure-thing professor," Ash smiled back at the older man and helped him to get back on his feet.

"Just a second, I've got everything you need here _somewhere_ ," professor Oak moved a few boxes lying around until he found one that was labelled Ash. "Here are the Pokéballs, and I figured you'd want Pikachu as your starter Pokémon, so I've already registered the little guy in your Pokédex," the professor grinned.

"What's a Pokédex?" Ash tilted his head to the side as he tried to get a good look at the red palm-sized device.

"It's something that I created," the professor said proudly, "it's a digital encyclopedia, containing information about various kinds of Pokémon. It also doubles as your Id, so don't lose it."

"Sure," Ash pointed the device at Pikachu.

[Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. It can generate electric attacks from the electric pouches located in both of its cheeks.]

"I don't like that thing," Pikachu said, "if you do that again, I'm going to shock you."

Ash gave his partner an apologetic smile, "professor," he turned to look at Oak, "that's it now? I'm a trainer?"

The professor laughed merrily, "you sure are," he agreed, "here, one more thing. This is a map of the region. It should help."

"Thanks, professor," Ash took the small box and the map before waving Oak goodbye.


	12. I don't look for trouble

1.

Ash came out from the professor's house to the raging applause of his many (five) fans (who were random people that he'd seen in passing). The cheering (of his mom) was so loud that it almost made the boy lose his hearing.

Pikachu looked unimpressed.

Ash flushed and said goodbye to all the people that came to see him before he got embarrassed by his mom more (and yes, he did pack enough underwear, thank you very much).

He made sure to hightail it out of there before she could ask him about anything else. With a kiss to her cheek, Ash waved her goodbye, "I promise to call as soon as possible."

Delia nodded at him with a tearful smile. They hugged one last time before he left.

He was ready to hit the road now, to start his journey with Pikachu by his side - and that simple fact made him glow all the way to the edge of the town.

A random passerby: "MY EYES! BLINDED! I CAN'T SEE!"

Now, as a fresh trainer, Ash was on the lookout for new Pokémon.

"Hey, Ash. Hear me out here, ok?" Pikachu spoke very slowly from his place on top of Ash's shoulder, "I know you're a trainer now, but don't you try catching any bird Pokémon around this area."

Ash blinked, looking confused, "why not?"

"Ever heard of a Pokémon called Spearow?" Pikachu took a magnifying glass out of freaking _nowhere_ and pointed it at Ash. The boy pushed it aside gently before giving a random flying Pokémon a calculating look.

"I remember reading about them in one of the books," Ash finally remembered, "something about how Spearow has a terrible attitude and likes to attack trainers."

"Right, but what you don't remember is how those little devils like to attack poor, unsuspecting Pokémon for fun." Pikachu shuddered. "They would chase them until their prey is exhausted before they'll try to eat them up alive!"

Ash grimaced at the detailed description, "It sounds like you had a bad experience with those Spearow…"

"What? No, kid. _I'm_ smart. _I_ kept my distance," Pikachu pushed before saying in a remorseful tone, "but I've seen what they do. It's bad."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me upsetting them," Ash assured his friend, "it's not like I'm thoughtless enough to throw a rock at one. All it would do is anger the Pokémon, who will try to get back at us. It will try to attack me first, since I'm that throw the rock at him, before spotting you."

The boy turned to look at Pikachu with a smirk, "I have a feeling it will hate you the moment it sees you."

"That theory of yours is getting very detailed…" Pikachu gave Ash a wary look.

Ash just snickered, "Ho, I'm not done yet… Spearow will attack you, but then you'll shock the Spearow _good_ , and it will fall to the ground, defeated," Ash continued, " _now_ I'm done."

Pikachu crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "I could take one Spearow easy, kid, but the _large flock of Spearow that lives nearby_ … not so much,"

Ash paled, "well, thankfully, I'm not stupid."

2.

"Hey, Pikachu, I've been thinking…" Ash gave a sideway look to his friend. Pikachu was currently 'saving his power' in case they met an aggressive Pokémon on the way on top of Ash's shoulders.

Until now, no one attacked the travelling pair, since there wasn't a lot of aggressive Pokémon near Pallet town, but Pikachu kind of liked this arrangement, Ash noticed.

Pikachu raised his head at the soft-spoken words. "Don't hurt yourself, kid," Pikachu joked.

Ash turned red like a tomato at the unexpected jest, "that wasn't nice…" Ash gave Pikachu a sad, disappointed look.

"Sorry, I was just joking around," Pikachu shrugged apologetically and shifted to hear Ash better, "I'm listening."

Ash placed both his hands behind his head, "what do you think will happen if someone pointed a Pokédex at me?"

Pikachu thought about it for a moment before tilting his head to the right, "do you want to try?"

Ash had thought about checking the Pokédex before, and more than once, but it was a little embarrassing.

After a long, telling silence Pikachu deducted what was the problem, "not knowing could be dangerous…" he pointed out.

"I know, but I'm still…" uncomfortable with the whole thing.

"Kid, I have no idea what you're currently going through, but you know that this piece of metal in your hand isn't going to change anything, right? For the record," Pikachu added, "I think you should use it."

"I know, I mean, what if a trainer pointed his Pokédex at me, and it identified me as a Mew?!" Ash said in a helpless tone. He looked down at his shoes, and his bangs covered his eyes.

"That's why you need to check now, _before_ something like that happens," Pikachu pointed out. "You and I are going to figure out a way to avoid that situation if the Pokédex _reveals_ your secret, but we need to know what's it's going to say first."

Ash gave Pikachu a grateful smile, "you're the best pal someone could ask for, you know that Pikachu?"

"J-Just point out that red know-it-all towards you already. Let's get it over with," Pikachu turned away from Ash, blushing at the compliment.

"Alright, alright. Wait a second. I'll take it out."

But Pikachu was closer, so to save the two of them the trouble he zipped Ash's beg open and took out his Pokédex, "here, take it."

"Thanks, Pikachu," Ash said happily and opened the Pokédex.

The moment it was opened, the Pokédex biped in a mechanical voice, [Hello Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum. I'm Dexter, a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak. My main function is to provide you with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced.]

It was probably because it was the first time Ash opened his Pokédex on this journey, but what was it with the long introduction? What if he was in the middle of trying to catch a Pokémon? This was too long, Professor Oak!

Ash pushed before taking a deep breath. It didn't really matter, because he didn't really need the Pokédex for something urgent.

He pointed 'Dexter' at himself and waited with halted breath to hear what it was going to say.

[There is no data on this Pokémon. Do note that there are still Pokémon yet to be identified,] Dexter reported with a robotic voice.

"Well, that was rather anticlimactic…"

3.

Mewtwo didn't know what to think.

While it was rather nice to have his freedom back, and that sweet, _sweet_ revenge on the humans that practically enslaved him, he… he didn't really know what he was supposed to do now.

He could do anything he wanted. The world was an open road, and he could go wherever he wanted, but he'd never planned so far ahead.

Suddenly, old questions like: 'why was he here?' And 'what was the point in escaping?' started to surface. Questions Mewtwo had no answer to.

He didn't ask to be born… to be _created_.

He didn't want to be a fake, a copy of someone else.

The humans with the white lab-coats rejoiced at his awakening, but Mewtwo had no idea why – _'what was there to be so happy about?'_

He asked them that, but what the humans told him didn't sit right with Mewtwo. The part where they created him, that he had no problem believing, but the part about how he should he serve them… about that being his destiny?

It felt wrong. The weak, egotistical humans couldn't be the real reason why he was created. It couldn't.

Yet those weak, egotistical humans captured him. They made him fight for them. They told him that this is his reason for living, but they were _lying_.

The only decent human (but not really human) that Mewtwo knew was his fellow clone – the boy, Ash.

At least he didn't try to tell Mewtwo lies and gave him false promises. Perhaps, Mewtwo mused silently. Maybe he should ask the boy. He had a feeling that Ash would not lie to him.

4.

Squirtle finally admitted if only to himself – he was lost.

That's what happens when you're _dumb_ and end-up listening to a god-damned Magikarp!

' _I should have known it would happen!'_

Squirtle almost turned around right then and there, but that idiotic Magikarp's words echoed in his mind, and Squirtle had to see that Mew that that _orange sushi_ talked about.

' _She can't be prettier than me,'_ the water Pokémon assured himself, _'that Magikarp must have greatly exagéré about how pretty Mew was.'_

But, how was one lone Squirtle supposed to find Mew? She won't come falling from the sky after all, right? Squirtle looked up just to make sure, but to his surprise – _'is that…?!_ '

She sparkled in the morning sun, and a pink bubble encased her and a common yellow Pikachu.

Squirtle had to admit that she was rather eye-catching, but from where he was, it was hard to see. For example, he thought he saw a long line of Beedrill chasing after her…

5.

_Ten minutes ago_

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction, Pikachu?" Ash asked in what seemed like the hundredth time. This was the problem when you went off-road after your best friend told you he could take you to where a lot of Pokémon liked to hang out.

It seemed like Pikachu had a shitty sense of direction.

"We're almost there," Pikachu assured Ash with a wave of his hand, "it should be around here…"

"Maybe we should go back?" Ash looked towards the road back with a hopeful gaze, but Pikachu wouldn't hear about it.

"What…?! _No!_ I know it's somewhere here," Pikachu said with a wounded expression, "don't you trust me?"

"I trust you, Pikachu," Ash scratched his head sheepishly, "but I'm a little nervous. I've never gone this far into the forest before… it's just that, I'm almost one hundred percent sure that I've seen this rock before," he pointed at a large rock that looked like a Pokéball.

"We aren't lost," Pikachu insisted, "and aren't you the one that asked me if I know a good place to catch Pokémon?"

"I did," Ash admitted, "and I'm very grateful that you would share something like this with me. Plus, I _did_ promise you that I wouldn't catch any Pokémon that wouldn't want to get caught."

"Ok, one more try. If we can't find it, _then_ we can turn back," Pikachu dared Ash to go on.

The boy raised his hands in surrender and followed Pikachu. They walked around for a bit when Pikachu finally heard something, "hey, I think I hear something…" it sounded like – _no, it couldn't be!_

Before Pikachu could say anything more, Ash perked up, "I think I can hear it too!"

"Ash!" Pikachu almost fell when Ash started running towards the buzzing noise of what Pikachu was almost sure was Beedrill's nest, "Ash, you need to stop, like right now!"

"What?! But why?"

Pikachu looked up only to see a tree filled with Kakuna – the unevolved form of Beedrill. 'Damnnn…'

That moment Ash looked up as well and paled. He'd read about Kakunas and Beedrills, and he wanted nothing to do with a full nest of them.

Beedrills are known to be extremely territorial. No one should ever approach their nest. If angered, those furious motherfuckers _will_ attack in a furious swarm, anyone getting too close.

'And we apparently, have insanely bad timing,' because that moment one of the Beedrills locked eyes with Ash and Pikachu.

Ash didn't think twice. He transformed back into his Mew form, picked Pikachu up and rocketed away from the swarm storming after them.


	13. diving head first

1.

* * *

Meanwhile, not very far away from where Ash and co encountered the Beedrills a group of three… let's call them _unique_ individuals were feeling pretty great about themselves.

Jessie enlarged a random Poke Ball from the huge brown sack, "like taking a candy from a baby."

"You would have thought that after the three Pokémon Center we rubbed they'd learn, but no," James smirked while nodding in agreement, "even so, I would have liked getting a better haul. Most of those are… not worth the trouble."

Jessie snorted as she tossed the Poke Ball and it opened to show a purple Ratta - the poor creature looked in both directions, looking for her trainer and grew confused when it couldn't find them. Jessie sighed before recalling the Pokémon and tossing the Poke Ball to the 'useless' pile.

"Don't give up," Meowth hissed in irritation, "there should be something here we can use, and the rest of those we can give to the boss."

James stokes a dramatic thinking pose, "I don't know, Meowth. We raided three Pokémon Centers so far, and none of them had what we needed."

"How hard is it to find an electric type?" Jessie groaned in agreement, "we'll never be able to catch that Gyarados, and all those water Pokémon…"

Of course, Meowth knew that it wouldn't be _fast_ – it would take time. It's like with lotto – low odds, but you don't need to invest much to win the first price. Plus, doing it like this is much more comfortable, and not even Jessie and James can mess it up.

"It doesn't matter," Meowth rolled his eyes, "as long as we keep supplying the boss with fresh Pokémon, he'll give up better one to use. So, it's a win-win situation."

"I guess," James shrugged and opened another Poke Ball.

A Squirtle. Not a very strong one at that.

James recalled the Squirtle and tossed it to the 'common' pile. It was an enormous pile, almost big enough to rival their 'useless' pile.

Meowth gave the two humans a look before walking back to his pile of Poke Balls, "don't worry. Eventually, we'll find something useful, and it's not like we can do this much longer. Officer Jenny will catch on to us soon, and I'm not planning to be here when she does."

* * *

2.

* * *

"We're going to die! Worse, I'm going to die!" Pikachu screeched while latching on to Ash like a limpet, "I don't want to die, I'm to smart to end up like this!"

The yellow Pokémon let out a shrieking scream as Ash outmanoeuvred a stringer attack from one of the Beedrills, "not helping!" With a wave of his pink tail, Ash increased his speed a bit more, but two more Beedrill closed in on him at both sides.

"Dive!" Pikachu cried a second before the two fiends tried to make a freaking _shish kebab_ out of the boy, and without overthinking much Ash shot down and the Beedrills missed again.

The swarm buzzed in agitation, but like a homing missile, they readied their stingers before diving right after the two – "Pikachu, I could really use that electric attack of yours right about now!" Ash looked back before increasing his speed yet again.

A pink bubble formed around the two as a Beedrill attacked from the side, "I can do that!"

Pikachu charged the electric currents in his cheeks before releasing a massive shockwave of electric discharge right in the swarm direction.

Ash bite back a scream when the current hit him and swiftly changed direction to avoid the falling mass of passed out Beedrills. Those that didn't fall stopped in their tracks as if to stare at the two in shock and Ash almost hoped that they would put two and two together and go – 'this is too much work, be better go back with our passed-out bros,' but no such luck.

The still awake Beedrills looked _incensed_ which only served to panic Ash and Pikachu. The two looked at each other, and without saying a word, Ash runs away again.

At this point they were relatively close to the forest floor, so it was only a matter of time before they came across a random Pokémon – but Ash never expected this kind of development!

* * *

3.

* * *

A few seconds before Ash and Pikachu decimated two-thirds of the swarm Squirtle was trying to decide what he actually felt about the beautiful pink creature gliding in the sky.

While it was confirmed that she was stunning appearance-wise, enough for the water Pokémon to feel it was ok to admit defeat, Squirtle refused to accept defeat that quickly – being a beautiful person took more than just a perfect outer appearance (like his), it took a splendid personality too!

And Squirtle had the perfect plan to test what kind of personality this lovely Mew had.

* * *

4.

* * *

Back to Ash and Pikachu, who for some reason forgot they could fly up to avoid random, ninja-turtle Pokémon randomly jumping on them out of the blue.

Yes, that happened.

"Hello, mademoiselle Mew! It's lovely meeting the rumoured beauty," the odd blue Pokémon chirped in a pleasant tone – did he _not_ see the Beedrill chasing after them?? 

Wait a-

Mademoiselle?! Did this asshole think Ash was female?? That's-!

Not really surprising, and not the first time it happened, but this really wasn't the best time to entertain crazy Pokémon. They were a little preoccupied with the previous crazy-mad gaggle of Pokémon who wouldn't leave them alone!

Then again, it wasn't like Ash could (or would) toss Squirtle now that he was associated with Pikachu and he – the Beedrill could spontaneously decide that they'd rather go after the easier target, you know, the one that can't escape into the sky?

"Ash! They're gaining on us!" Pikachu pointed at the Beedrills who just wouldn't give up, "toss the dead-weight off and let's get out of here!"

"Look here, you déplaisant piece of-!"

"That guy called me déplaisant!" Pikachu gave Squirtle the evil eye, "I'm not ugly, and I'm not unpleasant! What are you waiting for, Ash? Drop the toad."

'You understand French??'

"You exécrable devil!"

Ash wanted to drop both of them. Instead, he ignored what madness came out of their mouths and hoped they wouldn't kill each other in the meantime, "hold on tight, we're in for a rocky flight!"

"Wha-AH!"

"DIEU AIDE-NOUS TOUS!"

Ash grinned and dove right to the middle of the nearest lake – let's see those insects follow them here.

Damn, he was _smart_.

.

.

.

.

One hour later: I swear I didn't know it was Gyarados' territory!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it would be nice to start the new year (2021) with something nice and positive (and hopefully the trend will continue). This is my way of welcoming 2021!
> 
> Hopefully, you'll like it, and the next year will be better, and happier for you all! (No more epidemics please!)


End file.
